Bulma's Wish
by JeckTheParadox
Summary: Rather than underpants, the first wish made in Dragon Ball is the one Bulma intended: Summon her destined boyfriend. Unfortunately, this has merely released a teenaged Vegeta onto the unsuspecting and unprepared world of Dragon Ball. Can the cast of the original Dragon Ball survive the wrath of a Saiyan? Bulma/Vegeta, Also on AO3.
1. Chapter 1

_The Dragon Balls had been gathered, held by Emperor Pilaf, and the Dragon had been summoned. Their last hope was Oolong. He had almost forgotten the wish that they were journeying for, almost said the first thing to come to mind, but now he remembered that Bulma would kill him if he forgot._

 _"Sumon Bulma's destined Boyfriend!" He shouted, as he had been ordered to._

 _And unleashed the greatest threat the Earth had ever withstood up to that point in time._

* * *

The teen appeared with a pop, blinking in surprise, making a circle and observing his surroundings. He had been in the middle of an extermination with Raditz and Nappa, and now he was here. Wherever the hell here was.

Staring at him was a small blue alien, a small dog-man, a normal-sized woman, and a short pig-man. All of them just as confused as him.

"Y-you damn pig!" The blue one screeched, turning to his two comrades. "Catch him! They're going to pay for stealing my wish!"

"Yes sir!" The two shouted, the girl pulling a gun and the dog pulling out a sword, and charging at the pig, and... a cat?

Vegeta simply stared for a few seconds, before growling and creating a small energy sphere in his hand, launching it and making a massive crater between the two groups. "What the hell is going on?!" He roared, and they all stopped to stare at him.

The blue imp narrowed its eyes, sneering. "Whatever lover-boy, we'll deal with you later! Mai, Shu! Get that pig!" He ordered, gesturing forward.

"Um... sir? I-I think we should listen to him." the woman said, staring at the crater.

"Yeah... this... isn't good." The dog agreed.

"You should listen to them, they have some sense. Now, what the hell am I doing here?!" the Saiyan growled, picking up the imp by the collar of his shirt. With a quick tap of his scouter, he sneered. "A level of four? Hahahah! Pathetic. And both the woman and the dog are below thirteen!" He narrowed his eyes, "Now, tell me. How did I get here?! And you better answer this time, or I'll incinerate you."

"We- It's that pig's fault! He wished you here with the Dragon Balls! He wished for, uh, what were the words-"

"He said 'summon Bulma's destined boyfriend'." the woman said, holstering her weapon wisely.

"Who the hell is Bulma?" He growled out. If it was that pig, that thing had some nerves. And he'd like to see them outside of the pig's body.

"We don't know!" Pilaf pleaded. "Ask the damn pig! We were going to wish to rule the world!"

Vegeta stared at the imp for a few more seconds, before tossing him behind him like garbage. He was next to the pig in a moment, moving faster than he could see. He gripped the pig in a similar way, glaring down at him. "Why did you summon me?"

"I don't know! I didn't mean to summon you!" The pig replied, looking over its shoulder as the cat transformed into a bat and sped away. Vegeta considered shooting it down, but decided not to bother. "I just asked the Dragon to give Bulma a boyfriend, and you appeared!"

"Dragon?"

"The Dragon that comes out of the Dragon Balls, the one that grants you any wish!" The pig elaborated, sensing the buildup of energy in Vegeta's hand.

"Why would this dragon bring me to be this... Bulma's boyfriend?"

"I don't know! Maybe it has a sick sense of humor." The pig offered.

He narrowed his eyes. "Bring me to a space ship." He ordered. "Or I'll kill you and everything else on this damn world."

"A space ship?" The pig asked, raising an eyebrow. "How would-"

"Don't question me, lower life form. Just do as I say." He tossed the pig to the ground, staring expectantly at it.

"What, do you want me to make it appear out of thin air?" He asked sarcastically.

"I don't appreciate sarcasm." Vegeta said simply. "You seem to have very little love of this planet or your life, don't you?"

"Er- I'll get right on it!" With that, he transformed into a bat himself, fluttering away toward a castle. Rising off the ground, Vegeta followed at an easy pace. This wasn't the worst situation possible, he decided. At least there would be some interesting fools to kill- he stopped, almost staring before slamming his eyes shut. A full moon. Did he want to risk it, right now? Would it help him get back home to turn into an Oozaru? No, he decided it would not, and so he made sure to keep his eyes on the ground as he followed the flying pig.

* * *

Bulma had been watching closely. They had panicked when the gas had stopped affecting them, rushing to break free, and Goku had blasted a hole in the wall. Upon seeing the Dragon Balls gathered, Yamcha ordered Puar to go and steal them back, but they were already beginning to glow. "Oolong! Our wish!"

"What?!" The pig asked, surprised.

"Go out there and get my wish! My boyfriend! My destined love! Go! Or else it's sweee~sweee~sweee!"

"G-got it!" He rushed out after Puar, hearing Pilaf summon the dragon.

She had watched it all from the hole, as the light rose into the heavens, taking the form of a massive emerald serpent. Oolong had gotten there in time, although she was too far to hear what he said, she had seen the result. A young man, bursting into existence in a flash of light. He was...

Well, not what she was expecting.

She had half-expected Yamcha to get teleported outside. Not this spiky-haired teenager in the weird outfit. For some reason he reminded her of an older Goku. They all crowded around the little hole in the wall, watching. The teen fired some kind of beam, like Goku's Kamehameha, and then grabbed Pilaf, then tossed Pilaf, then- oh, he was suddenly by Oolong, and now he grabbed Oolong. She had a hard time actually computing what was happening to them right now. Honestly, the entire quest was moving from one dangerous nonsensical thing to another. It was only fitting that Oolong had summoned a- oh now he was flying too!

She groaned, putting her forehead against the brick wall. There was no way this would turn out well, she could feel it in her bones. And with that final thought, the wall exploded in a flash of light, the teenager floating above them, looking down. His gaze starting at Yamcha, then moving to Bulma- she felt a shiver as he looked her up and down, his eyes showing he was obviously thinking, but not giving any hint to what, and then finally landing on Goku.

The teen froze, staring at Goku in disbelief. Ignoring the two other teenagers, he dropped next to Goku, staring down at him, confusion playing on his features. "How is there another Saiyan here?" He finally asked, harshly. "Did you summon him here too?!"

"What's a Saiyan?" Goku asked, "And how did you blow up that big wall so easily?!"

"What's a-" he stared at him unbelieving for a second before giving into rage. "What's a Saiyan?! Only our race!" He pointed sharply at Goku's tail. "We're the greatest warriors in the universe. And I am your prince."

"What?" Goku asked, confused. "I don't know what a prince is."

"The son of a King, a noble. Your Superior." He said, picking him up and sniffing him. "You stink of this planet... when was the last time you were in space? How did you survive the destruction of our planet?!"

Yamcha and Bulma shared a look, backing away from the teenager.

"I've only been to space once! And that was to put a rabbit on the moon." He said with a proud nod.

"You..." Vegeta growled, "answer me when I ask you a question!"

"I did!"

"How did you survive our home planet blowing up?!"

"What are you talking about, the Earth is fine!"

"Not this planet! The one you were born on!"

"Hey buddy, stop yelling at him-" Yamcha began, but was silenced by a quick blow to the head that sent him through the nearby wall, gasping for breath as he fell unconscious. The teenager had barely glanced at the bandit before hitting him.

"...You must be one of the low-class scum who's sent out to these backwater planets as babies to wipe out the native life... you've failed in your mission." He said slowly, menacingly. He tapped his scouter. "But you're barely at a power level of 40!" He grinned savagely. "And you've been socializing with them. Perhaps your instincts are broken. I'd kill you, for being a disgrace to our race, but, I'm afraid you'll be necessary. For the safekeeping of the genes of the Saiyan lower class if nothing else." The prince rambled on, most of what he said lost on the boy. His glance shifted to Bulma. "So, are you Bulma?"

"Uh, yep! So, er, Prince." she began, awkwardly. "I guess the Dragon god thought you would be my perfect boyfriend."

He looked her up and down, as if judging a meal before eating it. Finally, having come to a decision, he smirked. "All right. Sure, you can be my mate. Be careful not to upset me, woman, or else I'll kill you."

She blinked. She narrowed her eyes. "Obviously the dragon has everything wrong." She growled out. "You're not perfect! You're an ass!"

He let out a short burst of mean laughter. "What did I just say? Are you stupid? Maybe I don't want to share my genes so easily with you then, if it'll only produce idiots with no sense of self-preservation."

All her other thoughts stopped as she blushed bright red. "Sharing genes-" she mumbled. Her face scrunched up. "Gross! I'm sixteen you perve!"

"And? I'm seventeen." He said simply. "Besides, you're the one who summoned me here for that. If it's the will of a dragon god, who am I to turn down a nice alien tail?"

"Bulma doesn't have a tail." Goku said innocently, before continuing to glare at Vegeta. "And stop yelling at her! Why did you hit Yamcha?!"

"What's a Yamcha?" It sounded vaguely like a Saiyan name.

"The... boy, you threw into the rocks over there." Bulma said, gesturing toward the knocked out form of the bandit, being fussed over by his flying cat.

"Oh, because he was annoying. Do I need any other reason, whelp?" He challenged, grinning at the smaller Saiyan. "He's lucky it didn't kill him. I guess that little poke wasn't enough to finish him off. Next time, I should just give him a little shove." He began laughing again, grinning evilly. "So, Bulma, it seems your wish on the dragon isn't without benefit. I've found yet another of my lost subjects, and now I've gained you." He grabbed the two of them in an instant, before taking off for the sky, his scouter traced the path of Oolong, who he had sent to look for a space ship. "I'm in a good mood. Once I've secured my ship, I'll even eradicate this planet for you, little low-class. Something for you to offer to Freeza."

"put me down!" Bulma protested, pounding on Vegeta's armored back as she was slung over his shoulder.

Goku tried to bite down on Vegeta's gloved hand, being held by his shirt-front. He tossed the smaller saiyan into the air, and then caught him by his tail, instantly paralyzing the little fighter. Without another word, Vegeta blazed across the sky after Oolong.

* * *

Roshi stared at the sky, shivers running up and down his body without stopping. He had never, never in his near-four hundred years sensed energy and malice like that. It was, it was simply unthinkable. It made even a demon like Piccolo in his prime look like a weakling. His turtle companion watched his master wide-eyed, in his hundred of years, he hadn't seen his master this worked up either.

Roshi ran inside, grabbing a cooking pot. It would be his only hope. His literal only chance. He would have to do the Mafuba, he only prayed that the move would have the strength to capture such an immensely powerful foe.

* * *

Mercenary Tao stopped in place, feeling a shiver go down his spine. He was the strongest human in the world, the prodigy of the Crane School. Nothing, nothing on this planet had made him feel such instinctive fear. He stabbed his hand into the ground, flipping out a massive chunk and tossing it, before jumping after it and riding it across the skies at incredible speed, aiming for the hallowed grounds of the Crane School. His master, Shen, and his students would have to prepare. The demon that they were facing...

He had only heard about it in stories. It had to be King Piccolo, the enemy his brother's master had given his life to defeat only temporarily. And now it was back. He wasn't looking forward to this fight, even if he were the strongest man in the world, that didn't mean anything against a demon.

* * *

Mr. Popo stopped watering his garden to stare out the side of the lookout, noting the massive ki that appeared with the dragon's disappearance. The first time the dragon balls had been used in a few hundred years, and they had created the greatest threat to ever touch upon the Earth. He ran to Kami, the withered green-skinned old man had collapsed, tears running down his eyes. "Mr. Popo." Kami whispered, clutching his hands tightly closed. "If this is the last day for our world, I would like you to know that I have always immensely valued your friendship and your services." The old god summoned his staff, and pushed himself up. "...I must go face him."

"Kami no! You'll die!" The genie cautioned.

"I'll stop by Korin's and obtain some Senzu beans." Kami said, resolutely. "And then I'll go out to challenge him... the Earth... probably won't survive this fight." He whispered, in realization. "Under Piccolo's rule," He whispered, as if he were speaking blasphemy "the Earth wouldn't be annihilated..."

Popo's eyes widened. "Kami, you wouldn't-"

"It may be our only choice." He said quietly. "Gather the strongest fighters on Earth, Mr. Popo, and begin to train them. I'm going to go find my counterpart."


	2. Chapter 2

(Note: This story was originally published under the same title "Bulma's Wish" on Archive of Our Own on my account there back in 2015. Since I'm planning on finally continuing it, I will be releasing new chapters both here, and on AO3)

* * *

Oolong was trying to escape. Plain and simple. He had no idea of even where to begin looking for a space ship. He felt bad for his friends, much worse than he thought he would have, considering how often he argued with them and how he met them, but he wouldn't sacrifice his own life for them. Not when it wouldn't even save them. What good was throwing another corpse onto the pile?

He flew through the air, aware of his time limit, and glanced behind him every so often. It should be impossible for the madman to follow him, but just in case, Oolong had taken care to not touch the ground as much as possible, flying as far as he could, and staying in one place when he had to recharge. He wouldn't be traced by scent, track, or marking. When he glanced back, he noticed a blazing purple star that was getting closer and closer. Vaguely remembering the blast Master Roshi had used to destroy the Fire Mountain, he dropped to the ground, cowering. The light passed over him, to his relief, and then turned his stomach to dread as it flipped around, once again aiming at him.

It stopped a few meters away, and dispersed to reveal the spiky-haired teen, as well as a dazed Bulma and KOed Goku being carried by him. "So pig. Where's my space ship?"

"I was heading there right now!" The pig said in mock cheer. "But you're so much faster than me! Just, go straight ahead in the direction I've been going! Can't miss it!"

Vegeta stared at him for a second before smirking. "If I find you've been lying to me, I can just find you again, and end you." He said happily. "This way, you said?" He gestured in the direction Oolong had vaguely been heading, West.

"Er... Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know anywhere that has a space ship." He admitted. Vegeta raised one hand, the one supporting Bulma over his shoulder, and pointed a finger at the pig, the tip of it glowing purple with charging energy. "Wait! Wait! But- but I know where you can find someone who knows where to find one!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Would Bulma or the brat also know how to find this person who knows where?"

The pig gulped. Vegeta would know he was lying, if he did. So he didn't. "Bulma would know, probably." He said quietly.

The energy in the fingertip didn't stop glowing. "I tire of you pig."

Oolong frowned, before transforming into a massive demonic beast, the most fearsome he could think of, horns, multiple arms, bulging blood-red eyes, the works. Vegeta took a step back in shock, the fearsome, battle-ready looking beast appearing out of the cowering pig. Instinctively, he dodged back as Oolong's arm swept at him, the claws leaving deep marks in the soil. Oolong wasn't a fighter, the monstrous form was only temporary, and could have probably been out-muscled by Goku. But Vegeta didn't know that, and so Oolong roared, throwing rocks and swiping with his claws and massive arms.

Vegeta's finger touched to his scouter, and he frowned, embarrassed. He had actually been frightened by that thing! The energy re-gathered at his finger tip, and silently he fired a blast at the monster-form.

Oolong poofed back into his pig form, choking back a shriek of fear as he stared headlong into his death. A second later, the blast engulfed him utterly, not even leaving ashes.

* * *

Enma stared down at the pig, who looked somewhat depressed. "So... will I be going to hell then?" He asked nervously.

The giant frowned, leafing through the book. "Kidnapping girls. Lying and conning, keeping a village trapped in fear, general pervertedness." He said dangerously, the pig winced. "These are serious sins," the giant ogre explained "however, the girls you kidnapped you pampered afterward, your lies were exposed, and you were punished enough for them in the living world. The fear though, that you bred and harvested in that village, making innocents dread for their safety and despair at what they imagined you had done to their daughters, remains a serious mark on your record. A damning one." The pig froze, staring into the eyes of the ogre. "...if you hadn't risked your life to save your friends."

"I did that in self-defense." The pig said haughtily, before catching himself. "Actually, I-"

"I can read your mind, I know that you truly did fight to save them, more than yourself, as you had already despaired." the ogre grinned. "Don't worry about your reputation as a mean guy, it really won't help you here."

"O-okay."

"So, off you go. Purgatory's on the right. NEXT!"

"Um.. alright then." He was shuffled off by another, smaller, ogre, smiling gently at him and telling him what heaven would be like.

Enma looked back down at the file. Killed by Vegeta. Like so many, many others. And more to come.

* * *

Bulma stared at the scene with half-conscious eyes. One second Oolong was there, as a monster, and the next he was small, and then he was gone. As her dizzy brain slowly processed that, she began to cry. The Saiyan prince glared down at her, tossing her to the ground. "Silence." He ordered.

He had killed Oolong, and he would kill her too, if she didn't do what he wanted. Gulping, she managed to quiet herself down. She could mourn Oolong properly, some other time. Right now, she had to focus on surviving to that other time with Goku. "So, woman. You know where to find a space ship?"

"...On one condition." She said, mustering up the strength to speak clearly.

"I don't do conditions. Either you do what I want, or you die."

"On one condition." She repeated. "You don't kill anyone else. Otherwise, you don't get a spaceship."

"How about this, I don't kill you, for your insolence right now, and then you get me a spaceship."

"No. You're probably going to kill me anyway once you've got it. If not now, then later." She said hesitantly. "I will not tell you, until you promise not to kill anyone else on Earth."

"No deal." He said simply. "So, what now?" He asked, smirking. "Are you really, ready to die?"

"Are you ready to stay on this planet for the rest of your life?"

He touched the scouter, noting, once again, that the communication function was down. He had left it off while he was fighting, as he didn't appreciate Freeza listening in on everything he said, and now that he had teleported, it had no way of reacquiring the signal except through blind chance. It was a distinct possibility that he would be trapped here. But... that didn't mean he had to follow the orders of this woman. "I'll be able to find the spaceship owner eventually myself. It'll be easy. I'll just hold whoever's in charge of this rock hostage until they provide me one." Realizing he was right, Bulma sighed. There was no way out of this.

"...Fine, I'll bring you to the spaceships."

"Good, and for your insolence, we're going to annihilate the next village we pass." She stared at him in horror.

"No!"

"Two villages!" He said gleefully. "Until you learn not to push me." She was about to speak again, and the Prince raised an eyebrow, as if asking if she was serious. She closed her mouth quickly, and pointed toward the West.

"That was where the pig was pointing." He said, threatening.

"Oolong made a lucky guess." She replied. "It's... West City, my hometown. I know about a warehouse where Capsule Corp is keeping some experimental space shuttles... they're the fastest things humans have made."

"It'll have to do." He grabbed her again, and took off into the air, they only seemed to go a short distance, before they slowed. Bulma regained her senses quicker this time, and she looked down at the small desert village below. Gasping, she let out a shriek of anger as it was vaporized in a vaguely purple blast of light. "That's number one."

The tears were streaming again, but the sadistic Saiyan merely smiled. "Hopefully, we'll find another one before we reach your hometown."

She slammed her eyes shut, gripping the Saiyan tightly as he accelerated once more. Too soon, he stopped again, and although she kept her eyes shut, for a brief moment the darkness of her eyelids glowed red, as if staring into the sun, as the second village disappeared.

Vegeta continued on his way.

* * *

"Master Tao Pai Pai." Tien Shinhan greeted, bowing. "It's an honor to see you again, the Master was expecting you-"

"Tien, you cannot yet sense the ki of others, correct?"

"Sense it?" He asked confused.

"It's an ability that one gains naturally with time." The mercenary said. "Although, talent with ki is a great boost to developing ki sense." He shivered. "Master Shen and I have both sensed a massive, evil ki appearing suddenly on the world. It could only be the Demon King Piccolo, the beast that slaughtered Master Shen's old master."

"The master of the Master?" He asked, his mind trying to estimate how something could 'slaughter' someone that strong. Tao Pai Pai only used the word 'slaughter' to describe his own actions, most of the time.

"He's... a great distance over us in power. By orders of magnitude." Tao admitted. "As we are, we have no way of harming him."

Tien blanched. Tao was the strongest person in the world, and if something out there was stronger than him by orders of magnitude...

"Brother." Shen said, walking up to the mercenary. "I take it you have sensed this strange demon."

"It must be Piccolo, risen again, correct?" Tao asked. His brother was older than him, and Tao had not directly faced the Demon King in its prime.

"No. This creature far outstrips Piccolo." The Master said, worriedly. "We will have to strengthen our efforts if we want to survive."

"Stronger than Piccolo?!" Tao cried, outraged. "How could there be two monsters of this magnitude?!"

"Tien." Shen ordered, and his student immediately stood at attention. "We are going to go on a training journey."

"Now of all times?!" The mercenary growled.

"Yes. We can't stand against him on our own... we're going to train under the God of Martial Arts."

"At Korin's Tower?"

Tien raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar name.

"Yes. Hopefully, under his watchful eyes, we will be able to become strong enough to fight against this monster."

Tao Pai Pai considered this. "Even if we became stronger... that ki is just too large. Whatever is creating that energy... even if we each trained for a hundred years, we wouldn't come close."

"In the days of the fight against King Piccolo, we at least had an army." Master Shen agreed.

"...I have some friends to call." Tao said, grinning. "I know where we can get an army."

* * *

Roshi set out for West City, trying to stop himself from barfing as he spun over the ocean on one of his turtles. It helped sometimes, to be a sage with many magical familiars. But a car would be nice too. The great power was heading to that location, and he shuddered as he felt two entire towns wink out of existence.

He gripped the pot in his hands gingerly. He would die, today. Whether he was killed by the monster, or by sacrificing his life energy to seal away the beast.

He had taken in many students, and made them into excellent martial artists. He had lived about four hundred years, and if he said so himself, he was still smoking hot. He had a good life, he decided.

* * *

Kami floated above the ocean, staring at the depths as a rice cooker breached the waves, floating upward in the grips of his telekinesis. He carried it to the Lookout, and set it down gingerly. Staring at it for some time, he sighed. "Mr. Popo, I want you to take cover for a while... this will most likely get bloody."

"Understood Kami. Good luck."

The deity nodded in thanks, and took in a deep breath, stretching and warming up. Then, when he felt as ready as he would ever be, he cracked open the seal with his staff, and with a flash of malicious energy, his duplicate appeared. A being of pure evil, his own evil, given shape. Piccolo was not born of hell, nor did he come from, or rule over the demon dimension, he did not pledge loyalty to Dabura. But all the same, through the nature of his being, through his savagery and ambition for evil, he was an honorary Demon all the same.

"I am free!" He cried, laughing maniacally. "Foolish Kami, to think you thought those pitiful humans could contain me-" he stopped, staring into the distance at the source of the ki that utterly dwarfed his own. While it was not Evil with a capital E, it was malicious, callous, and murderous. "...What, what in the hell is that?" he growled out.

"A threat that makes you insignificant." Kami answered. "And one who is absolutely beyond my own power to stop. His power exceeds even that of the Galactic Kais."

King Piccolo blanched at the thought of that, staring at his counterpart. "...Do... do you have a plan?"

"Yes." Kami ground out, hatefully.

Despite the situation, Piccolo Daimao smiled. "So, you're finally giving up. You accept my superiority, you'll fuse with me, and be corrupted beyond redemption!"

"My good will live on inside of you. Someday... perhaps it will make you a monster no longer."

"Hehehe... Poor Kami. Foolish deity. You started off pure of heart, but remember what corrupted us was the evil of the world we had seen. And in all these years, you have once again seen that evil. You resisted its pull better than the being we were before, but you are already corrupted. While I am pure evil. The good in you will not overpower me. I will consume you utterly."

"...I know."

"Then lets get on with it. To save your precious world. My precious playground."

"You must promise me-"

"No such thing." The Demon King admonished. "Do you wish to save this world or not? I could live with it being destroyed, could you?"

"..." He said no more. They touched hands, and with a burst of light, only one being stood there. Screaming, he clawed at his face, before laughing maniacally.


	3. Chapter 3

This was simply impossible. Vegeta stared at the scouter's number. 3458 and rising. Near-Nappa levels. Out of nowhere. And. Rising. It was just... bizarre. Utterly bizarre.

Bulma, being held around her waist under his left arm like a duffel bag, elbowed him, jerking her finger West-ward. "Um, we're not there yet."

"Quiet." he ordered, watching as the scouter lit up a flight path for him to take. "We're making a detour."

"What? Why?"

"There's a power level here higher than it should be." Without another word, he took off for Kami's Lookout.

* * *

Tien, Chiaotzu, and their Master were flying as fast as they could toward Korin's Tower.

Tao had gone off to try and gather the Red Ribbon Army behind him, using their firepower and numbers might be enough to overwhelm the monster. But Shen and his students had something else in mind. Training under Korin, the God of Martial Arts. It would be grueling, but perhaps with the ancient master's training, they would be able to stand a chance against the source of that ungodly ki.

That had been the plan, but as soon as they approached the tower, a new ki appeared above them, evil and bursting stronger and stronger. It was only a fraction as intense as the monster, but it still dwarfed King Piccolo in his prime, and it was getting more powerful by the moment. And to make matters worse, the monstrous ki turned around from its westward journey, flying towards their location at breakneck speed.

"Get down!" Shen cried. "Suppress your energy as much as possible! Hide in the trees!"

Tien and Chiaotzu followed the order immediately, ducking into the cover as a bright purple light flashed over them. Tien had been trying to feel ki since Tao had brought it up, but wasn't having much luck. However, at that moment, with the absolutely preposterous strength emanating in the air after the light, he felt the presence of the energy invade his brain, suddenly, he was overcome with dread, staring upwards hopelessly at their opponent's slowly vanishing light trail. They wouldn't win this battle.

* * *

Vegeta landed, depositing the paralyzed child and the girl onto the floor of the Lookout without a second glance, walking toward the laughing Namekian. "So, a Namek." He said.

The Namek turned around to face him, still grinning evilly. "Greetings, so, you're the monster who was summoned by the Dragon balls."

The prince grinned. "Now that I'm here, there are a few paths that I can see this going down." He was interesting, to be sure. A potential challenge, or at least a greater challenge than anything else on the planet, a Namek, who he thought extinct, living on this backwater world. "So, my first question would be, do you have a space ship?"

The Nameless Namek grinned. "I do in fact... it was... forgotten, for a time. But now that I am whole, I remember quite a bit."

"What's a Namekian doing on this backwater dirtball?"

"What's a Namekian?" He asked.

Vegeta paused, turning to Bulma. "Is there just something about this planet that makes aliens forget about their species?"

"I don't know." She replied honestly. "Maybe."

He turned back the green man and tapped his scouter. 4322. And still rising. He was stronger than Nappa. Someone this strong shouldn't exist on such an out-of-the way planet. "Well then Namek, here's how this is going to play out. You take me to this space ship, and I won't kill you. Simple enough for even you primitives to understand."

"Heheh... I've become more powerful than I could have ever expected or hoped... and you're still leagues ahead of me. Fine. Anything to get you off my planet faster." He said, grinning. "If anything, you're arrival helped me! My counterpart was a thorn in my side for centuries, and your presence was enough to convince him to fuse with me. You've made me the undeniable ruler of this world."

"It'll all be rubble once he's ready to leave anyway." Bulma grumbled. Vegeta shot her a glare, making her take a few steps back and try to hide behind the much smaller Goku.

"What do you mean?" The Namek began, narrowing his eyes.

"Woman, was that meant as a betrayal?" Vegeta asked dangerously. "You've just made the situation more difficult, you know."

"I was just being honest, he thinks that giving you his ship will save his life, but you're just going to kill all of us anyway."

"I wasn't going to kill you, unless you proved sufficiently annoying." Vegeta said, frowning. "Which, you evidently have decided you are." He raised his finger, letting it glow.

Bulma was still sweating nervously, but she forced a smirk. "S-so, you're losing out on two ships then? The two fastest?"

Vegeta's charging beam didn't grow any larger, the purple light orbiting his finger. "...The Namek's ship will be faster." He grunted. "You're expendable."

"He's not going to give it to you knowing you'll just kill him anyway!" Bulma shouted.

"Agreed, brave woman." The Nameless Namekian growled. "If you're going to destroy my planet, I refuse to show you the ship. If I even think you might destroy it, I'm stopping."

"...What is it with the people on the planet and trying to force conditions?!" He roared, a purple aura encompassing him. The pressure of his energy forced back the wind, pushing against the others standing on the Lookout. "It's quite simple really! Namek, I'm exterminating every person on the planet. That's not something I'm going to change. However, if you give me your ship, I'll make you my servant, even put a word in with Freeza, you're nothing especially special, but you'd make a half-decent soldier. However, if you take it upon yourself to continue testing me, to continue imposing these conditions, or outright refuse to lead me there, I'm going to kill you. It will be painful, and it will take a long time." He threatened. He then gave an utterly evil smirk. "And if you refuse, you aren't even saving anyone. I'm still going to exterminate the people here, I'm still going to get my ship thanks to the girl here." He gestured behind him.

The Namek looked at Bulma, and smirked. "Apologies, woman. You saved me from being tricked, I would have liked to spare your life." His eyes narrowed. "But oh well." A blast from the Namekian flew towards Bulma and Goku, knocking into them and exploding, launching them off the side of the Lookout. The Namek grinned. "I was Piccolo, the Demon King, a few minutes ago." He frowned. "And I was also Kami, Guardian of Earth, a few minutes ago. I'm not letting you destroy it. And I'm not letting you win."

Vegeta stared at the falling, smoking form of the woman. His scouter alerted him that the Namek had taken off, flying at speeds faster than what Nappa was capable of. His power level was still slowly ebbing further and further up. He had no time. And no guarantees. These Earthlings... they would pay for making a fool of him. He dashed downwards, grabbing the woman and the younger Saiyan from mid-air and carrying them back up to the Lookout. Luckily, she was still alive. He still had at least one ship then.

His face cold, he left the two of them there, unconscious, and sped after the Namek.

* * *

Mr. Popo quietly left his hiding spot, staring in the direction Kami and the monster had flown. He walked over to the two children, sighing sadly. They were innocents, wrapped up in all of this. Humans shouldn't have to be involved in messes like this. He opened a bag at his side, picking a Senzu bean from inside and splitting it in half. Both of them had bad burns, and were unconscious and fading fast. Opening their mouths, he forced the beans down, making them chew and swallow.

Within seconds, the two were restored, the younger Saiyan flipping upwards with a roar, while Bulma simply groaned as she pushed herself up from the ground. "It's good I got to you in time. You both almost died." Mr. Popo said.

The woman stared at him for a few seconds, "okay, you got me, who exactly are you?"

"Kami's assistant." He said happily. "My name is Popo. Would you like me to take you somewhere quickly? Who knows when that man will return for you."

"Wait, where did he go?" Bulma asked, looking nervously around.

"He left to chase Kami."

"He's... chasing the guardian of Earth? Why?"

"He's after his space ship."

"Wait, was Kami the green-skinned bastard who tried to blow us up?"

Mr. Popo frowned slightly. "He's not really himself right now. Normally Lord Kami is quite the kindhearted individual."

"...Yeah, we need to get out of here quick." Bulma admitted, turning to Goku and trying to wake him up. It took a few shakes and a splash from Popo's watering can, but the small Saiyan was finally awake.

"Where are we?"

"You're on Kami's Lookout." Popo answered, not really explaining anything. "Now then, should I just drop you off on the ground?"

"If- If it's not too much trouble, could you bring us to West City?"

"Easily." The Genie summoned a floating carpet. "Get on."

The two clambered on board, before the Carpet shot out, flying even faster than Vegeta had been.

It stopped over a series of sky scrapers, and Bulma let out a sigh of relief. She was home. "Can you drop us off by the Capsule Corporation building? It's just a little that ways-"

She was startled by Goku suddenly grabbing her shoulder and shaking her, gesturing toward the sky. "Look Bulma! A flying turtle!"

"Turtles can't fly! It's probably just a dinosaur-" she stopped as she saw the Turtle Hermit flying by on a spinning turtle. The two of them were silent as the turtle seemed to pause in mid-air, while still spinning, and then reverse, heading towards them.

"Goku? Is that you!?" Roshi called out, his voice wavering from the spinning. But even when he was spinning at high speed, Bulma could notice the change in expression to something stupid. "And miss Puff-puff too! Hehehee~!"

"Master Roshi! Hop on!" Goku said, before Bulma could reply with something venomous.

"Eheheh, I would if I could but-" he suddenly became serious. "...Goku, you and Bulma need to get out of here, as well as your new friend. Get as far away as possible, a monster, beyond anything you ever experienced, was heading here. It veered off a while ago, but it was definitely heading here."

"Yeah!" Bulma shouted over the wind. "We're running away from him! He flew off in that direction, the way we came from!"

Roshi's eyebrows raised. "So, then you've seen it?"

"We uh... we kind of brought him here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we summoned him here to Earth, with the Dragon Balls, because somehow Oolong messed up a simple wish for a perfect boyfriend for me, and then we also brought him here, to West City, so he could find a Space Ship."

"Oh yeah! Oolong and Yamcha." Goku said, exclaiming and hitting himself in the forehead. "I almost forgot! We should go grab them!"

Bulma became quiet. "...Goku, Oolong died."

The Saiyan boy froze, his eyes widening. "He... what?"

"Vegeta killed Oolong." She said again, tearing up.

Master Roshi bowed his head in respect, "I'm sorry about your friend... Goku, I know you have a warrior's heart, just like your Grandfather. But don't go after Vegeta. He's more powerful than you can imagine. Allow me to take revenge for you."

"He... killed Oolong... That Monster!" Goku growled. "KINTO'UN!" He called, and the yellow cloud appeared from the sky. Goku jumped onto it, breathing deeply, eyes nearly glowing with rage.

"GOKU. WAIT." Roshi ordered. "If you go after him, you'll just die as well. I promise... as soon as I've dealt with him, I'll come back and become your trainer, but if you do this, I will never teach you anything of Martial Arts!"

Goku once again hesitated, his eyes flicking back and forth, weighing the consequences.

Roshi sighed. "You're not strong enough. Not nearly enough yet. Train hard, keep your goal in mind, but don't let it consume you. Rage is a fuel, not the vehicle, understand?"

"No."

"Heh, well, then I'll have to teach it to you when I get back." He closed his eyes, feeling the ki emanating from the monster- no, it had a name now. Vegeta. The spinning turtle changed course yet again, flying off toward the two great evils. He considered his words as he flew, and paused in flight again. "Goku! If you can't find me after all this... go to Korin's Tower! Climb it, climb it with all your strength, and with a turtle shell tied to your back. At the top will be another who can train you, one of those who in fact trained me." And with that, he took off in earnest.

Bulma put a comforting hand on Goku's shoulder, sighing. "Come on Goku, let's head to my house... we need to talk about our plans."

* * *

Vegeta roared with rage as he punched through the stomach of the Namek, shoving him through the rock wall of a mountain in the process. The Namek began regenerating the wound, and with a grin, Vegeta pulled a rock out of the wall, stabbing it through the shrinking wound-hole, pinning the Namek to the ground.

"Well then, here we are. You, bleeding, on the ground. And me, standing over you." He narrowed his eyes. "Where is the space ship?"

"I'll... never... tell." The Namek grunted out, between shallow breaths. Vegeta kicked him in the ribs, breaking a few. The Namek began to chuckle, painfully. "To... think... the last wish... of my Dragon Balls... would be the one... that caused... my death."

Vegeta kicked him savagely once more, making a bit of purple blood splatter out of the green man's mouth. "Dragon Balls... you mean the things that brought me here?"

"...yes... I created them... so long ago... to... bring people happiness... but... only war... ever rose from it..." he coughed. "...it's... perhaps a good thing... that they'll disappear... with my death..."

"Wait... the legends of the Namekian's Wishing Orbs..." his eyes widened. "They're true, then? There exists a way to get any wish you desire?"

"Hehehe... you... desire the dragon balls?"

"Of course! Tell me where they are, or I'll kill you."

"Heh... kill me... and the balls disappear..."

"What?" He growled, his eyes narrowing. "How do I know you're not just trying to save yourself?"

"Why would I expect such a fantastical story... to trick you... if it's not true... you've seen their power..."

"Gather them. Bring forth the Dragon, make me immortal!"

"You'll... have to wait... at least a year..." the Namek's grin was becoming irritating. Vegeta knew the old creature had to have been in excruciating pain, and yet it was still smiling like an idiot for having something to hold over Vegeta's head. "...after each wish... they turn to stone... and scatter across the world... if you want them... you'll have to find them..."

"A... whole year..." Vegeta could barely speak. He was livid. "I have to wait on this planet a whole year?! Summon it now!"

"Hahahaha!" The Namek laughed. Vegeta could still hear the weezing in his laugh, but it seemed the Namek could fight through the pain with enough amusement. "Impossible!" He coughed, "you'll... just have to wait... and then..." his grin made Vegeta want to torture him, but it obviously wasn't working. The Namek didn't process pain, it seemed. If his victim laughed while he tortured him, it would be pointless! "you'll... have to scour the Earth... carefully... without damaging the dragon balls... looking for... all seven..."

"You! " Vegeta roared, twisting the rock in his grasp, making purple soak the ground.

The Namek only continued to laugh. And finally, not wanting to lose his immortality, the Saiyan reluctantly pulled the stone out of his chest. "Listen here, Namek." Vegeta hissed. "This will end with you dying, once I got my wish. But I will burn the Earth to cinders. I will murder, personally, every person on this planet. One by one. Slowly. Because of this. Now. Show me your damn ship."

"Why!" The Namek shouted, laughter still in his voice. "After you get immortality you can just wait another year, and wish yourself back where you came from!"

Vegeta punched him, hard, exploding the Namek's right arm in the process. He slammed his other hand into the side of the Namek's head, and let him fall to the ground. Breathing deeply for a few minutes, the teenager wrestled back his rage. One year. That... wasn't too bad. He had made journies longer than that in his pod, albeit asleep.

One year away from Freeza. He worked through the anger, all the way up to a smile. That was good. A year without Freeza was good. A year without Nappa, without Cui breathing down his neck, without the humiliations from Zarbon and Dodoria.

And it wasn't like there was nothing to do on the planet. He could exterminate it slowly, after all. He had that woman, if she was still alive, and the low-class brat, to spend his time with.

One year.

Vegeta grinned. One year of relaxation, and a scavenger hunt, in exchange for eternal life. An easy trad


	4. Chapter 4

"Bulma honey, you're back from your vacation, tell me, did you find those dragon ball things you were so worked up about?" Dr. Briefs asked, feeding his vast collection of animals. "And who's this fine fellow? Your new boyfriend?"

"Dad! He's twelve! Maybe younger!" Bulma protested. "And yes, we did find them and... and..." she began to break down into tears. "Oh Daaadddyyy" she sobbed, collapsing into her father. "We made a horrible mistake, and now the world might get destroyed!"

"Honey, there's no need for exaggerating things like that, tell me, how bad is this? Did you crash the car? Get lost? Anger a biker gang?"

"Well... I did crash a few cars, to begin with, but that's not the problem! We found the dragon balls, but then we were kidnapped, but we made our wish anyway, but instead of bringing my 'destined boyfriend' it summons this alien asshole who knocked out one of my friends, killed the other, and then blew up two towns to prove a point! And now he's out there, and he wants to kill everybody!"

The doctor sweatdropped. "An... alien, you say?"

She nodded. She pointed to Goku, "He's apparently one too."

"And these ball things, they actually work?"

"Yep."

"Huh. Aliens and Magic. Proven to exist by my daughter." He shrugged. "Whaddya know."

Bulma sighed. "Dad, come on! We need to work on this, he's really, really dangerous, and he's coming on really strong, he's already talking about having kids-"

With that her father stood up. "Wait, what?!"

"And may I remind you he BLEW UP TWO TOWNS." She shouted. "We need to get down into the lab, and figure out some way to stop this bastard before he kills anyone else."

"Uh, alright honey. How do we go about that?"

"You're my dad!"

"What does that have to do about anything?"

"I don't know! Don't you have a warehouse filled with superweapons or something?!"

"Honey! I specialize in vehicles and capsules! Why would I have superweapons?!"

"I don't know!" Bulma was panicking now, walking back and forth in a straight line. "I just... I just don't know what to do."

"...We need to beat him." Goku said, determined. "I'm going go after Master Roshi and get him to start my training early!"

"Wh-what should I do?"

"Find Yamcha! Send him to Kame House too! Then..." Goku scrunched up his face, thinking hard. "Build... a trap? Or one of those big bulky monsters that the Pilaf gang had!"

"You meant the mecha?" Bulma said. "Yeah... that could... it could possibly work..."

"Bulma, I'm not making battlesuits!"

"We need it to save the world Dad!"

He hesitated a few more seconds. "Are you sure that this isn't all some over exaggeration?"

"He killed one of my friends Dad!"

"...Okay. Then let's get started. From what I remember, Doctor Gero was the leading mind in robots..."

Goku gave them a thumbs-up and ran out the door, calling for his cloud. He took off into the sky, not sure where to begin looking for Korin. But he just couldn't sit and do nothing.

* * *

"Master, why are we climbing?" Tien asked, sweating in the heat of the sun as he climbed up the tower one hand at a time. He glanced down at Chiaotzu, his smaller body having led to him falling far behind his two seniors. "Couldn't we just fly up-"

"Climbing the tower is a right of passage, Tien!" Shen answered angrily. "It's part of Korin's training." He pulled himself up, with some effort. "We must prove ourselves capable of surviving his training, that we have the potential to succeed! If we cannot climb this tower..." he grunted, flinging himself up a layer. "...then we don't deserve his tutelage."

* * *

The sun baked the three of them, far above, Korin watches the sunset, his mind's eye keeping a careful watch on the Kami-Piccolo fusion's ki. This was a mess, Korin concluded. Grabbing a bag of senzu beans, Korin summoned the Great Kinto'un, and pulled a small piece off to ride. With that, he sped across the sky to the cave where Vegeta had left the Nameless Namekian. "Hey Kami, you in there?"

The Namek gave a pained grunt, grinning. "Hello... Korin..."

"...So, King Piccolo's in there too, right?"

The Namek's smile didn't disapear, as he leaned back. "I wish I could lie to you, say that Kami was in control... but to be truthful, I am mostly Piccolo. Not nearly as much Piccolo as I thought I would be. We both underestimated Kami's strength of will. Heh, I wish I could lie, say Kami was in control, and so you'd heal me, but honestly, the Kami part of me trusts you too much to lie to you."

"...Are you going to kill me, if you can move again?"

"...No." He decided, and a shiver went down the Elder Cat's spine. It had taken far too long to come to that decision.

"Take this then." He said, dropping a senzu bean into the Namek's mouth and quickly backing away. There was a spike in the Namek's aura as he recovered, but then he suppressed the power back down again.

"Hehehe... Korin, how strong do you think I am, in comparison to my prime?"

"Before you split?" Korin asked. "Hm... you're nearly three times as strong as you were before your split, but you're also at least ten times stronger than King Piccolo was at his Prime."

"Ten times..." He whispered, grinning.

"Maybe a third as strong as the monster that did this to you."

The Namek considered this. "Korin, I need to get even stronger... I have this whole new... well of potential!" He described, trying to understand the depths of his new power. He was absolutely amazed. "Even as strong as I am now, I feel I could become even stronger than that monster... far exheed him, even!"

"...Kami, or Piccolo, I suppose, that's dangerous thinking. Something that powerful shouldn't exist, you'd be able to destroy the entire planet any time you wanted!"

"Hehehe... and that scares you, does it?" The Namek asked evilly. "I am the supreme ruler of this world, Guardian of Earth and Demon King as well. I should hold judgement over this planet, what kind of god cannot destroy what he rules?"

"What kind of god wants to?!"

The Namek merely laughed in response, pulling himself off the ground and dusting himself off. His own healing abilities and the senzu bean had left the gaping wounds nothing more than painful memories. "Well, I've managed to buy us a year to train."

"How?"

"What else? The Dragon Balls. He wants immortality dearly. Fortunately, he was brought here in the first place accidently by someone using them. We have until the balls regenerate, and from then, until he can find them all."

"Then we've got maybe decades of time! The Dragon Balls are nearly impossible to find!"

"Not any more. A woman managed to create a Radar that can sense them, and other groups have done the same."

"...One year." Korin whispered. "...I'm not sure what we can do." He turned toward the Korin tower, his whiskers twitching slightly. "Some human martial artists are climbing my tower, seeking training."

The Namek thought about this. "...King Piccolo was sealed away for years by a human martial artist."

"...They could prove useful." Korin stated. "Shoould we begin training them? There's no way that mere humans could have the potential to defeat that monster... but.. they could be useful all the same."

"Agreed. Back to the Lookout then." the Namek commanded. "He's still there right now, looking for the two he left there." He grinned. "Their energies are both so small, but it seems Mr. Popo's taken care of them and taken them far away. Good. That woman saved my life. I was just going to give him what he wanted and then let him go. But she told me he was going to destroy the Earth once he got what he wanted."

"Didn't you blast her off the side?"

He shrugged. "Better than what Vegeta was going to do to her. And that kid with the tail-" he stopped. "Like Vegeta had. It wasn't a belt, my senses are too good, blood was running through that tail. A relative of his? But the boy was definitely beaten by him, and a friend of the woman..."

"Another creature like Vegeta?" Korin asked. "One who likes humans? Seems like a miracle. If we can train him up enough... if he's the same species, maybe he could match Vegeta."

"And have two of those super-powerful monkey-men running around with planet-destroying power?"

"What other hope do we have?"

"Me." He said gruffly. "I'm all we need." He grabbed a nearby rock, atomizing it in his hand. "I'm the most powerful creature to be born on Earth, my power is still rising by leaps and bounds... if we focus on training me, on harnessing all the untapped potential of our fused form, that's all we need. The boy is a distraction, the humans are a distraction."

The Cat's eyes were perpetually narrowed, but if possible, they narrowed even more in distrust. "You just don't want to have any competition after we beat him. You don't want anything to exist that can pose a threat to you. Even if it endangers the Earth now."

"Korin!" the Namek growled deeply. "Don't you dare act against me."

"Don't you dare put the Earth at risk. You're either the Guardian of Earth and the Demon King, or you're neither. If you put the Earth at risk, you're not Kami, and I won't help you."

"You damn cat." the Namek roared, his energy beginning to rise from him, his aura flashing brightly, before he regained control of himself. "No. He can sense my energy... I need somewhere to train... Fine. We'll train the humans, and the child. We're desperate. But it won't make a difference, and if I feel I'm not reaching my full potential because of them, we're removing them from the equation. I'm the best hope for the Earth's survival. We agree on that now. If we're making any bets, those bets will be on me."

The Cat nodded hesitantly, before flying back towards his home, followed closely by the Namek.

They arrived at the top of Korin's tower, far above the clouds but still far below the Lookout. The Namek, thinking deeply, then turned and began walking to the back of the building, stopping in front of a tea kettle marked with the sign of Kami. "Korin, how much Ultra Divine Water can you brew?"

"Kami, don't-" the Cat shouted, grabbing the pot away from him. "This drink only kills people!" He growled. "It's a legend that says it makes people substantially stronger, everyone I remember ever drinking it ended up dying painfully!"

"But this legend... it is true, isn't it? Or else you wouldn't keep it here."

"It's too dangerous." The Cat argued. "...We'll save it as a last resort." His head turned toward the entrance, where the first of the three humans had climbed to the top. He glared at the Namek, "Stay here, and don't do anything to kill yourself! You just screamed your head off about being the last hope of the Earth, and what do you do? You try to drink the magic water that killed thirteen people." He grumbled, walking off.

The Namek grinned, despite himself. Really, far too much of Kami had survived. The Fusion was supposed to leave one of them dominant, the one with the stronger will, in charge, while the other's identity was consumed. But this... he was undoubtedly an evil person, still. But not such a cruel one. The amusement he felt from watching those weaker than him struggle was something much more powerful than before. He genuinely liked pissing off Korin. He loved the planet in a protective sense, and a jealous one. Where Piccolo could have blown up the planet, thinking along the lines of 'If I can't have it, nobody can', he knew this new form would do no such thing.

He was both relieved and annoyed that he was both relieved and annoyed.

The Nameless Namek frowned, staring after Korin. "I need a name." He announced, to the empty room.

* * *

Shen stared at the cat, frowning. "Where is Master Korin?!" He growled.

"You're looking at him." The Elder Cat answered.

"You're- you're a cat!"

"An Immortal Cat, who's lived even longer than you." He said, smirking. "And I am the God of Martial Arts, adviser to the Guardian of Earth, and Master of Korin's tower, and keeper of the holy objects within." He said grandiosely. With a tap to the old master's forehead, one made so fast the old man didn't even notice until the claw was embedded in his skin, Korin began to read his mind. "Master Shen... I've trained your rival, the Turtle Hermit."

"You what?!"

"Will you still seek to train under me, knowing that I'm your rival's Master?"

He hesitated, but nodded. The stakes were too high to be distracted by their feud. Korin kept his claw on the man's head, sifting through his thoughts and reading his intentions. "You're an evil man, Shen."

"What! No I'm not!"

"You're a murderer and a coward, who trains assassins by destroying their morals and forcing their obedience. You teach dangerous techniques that should be forbidden, and you don't have the soul of a Martial Artist, despite your exceptional skill and technique as one. You don't love the thrill of the fight, only what the fight accomplishes to further your own gains. You do not care about the safety of others, you are, short and simple, someone I would never consider training. Someone, who, any day before this, I would have sent crashing to the ground." Shen was bright red with rage. "But the circumstances say otherwise. You, are here to save the world. To fulfil your debt to your master, and to protect the future of your school. These, these are good intentions, heroic intentions." The Elder Cat smiled. "I will accept you as a student, hopefully, I can make you a better person while I make you a stronger one."

Shen cooled down slightly, nodding his head in acknowledgement as Tien's head poked through, the teenager exhausted as he pulled himself into the house. Korin helped him up, pulling a Senzu bean from his satchel and handing it to the Triclops, who, after a nod from his master, ate it. "Holy crap." Tien whispered, shooting to his feet and feeling energy pulse back through him. "It feels like I just rested for a week..."

Korin nodded, and the Triclops finally turned to stare at him, "Who the hell are you?" He asked, before Master Shen slammed his hand against the back of Tien's head in a hard chop.

"That is the God of Martial Arts, Korin!" His master growled. "And we are going to treat him with respect... despite... my being unworthy of his teaching, he's willing to accept us given the monster's attack."

Korin shook his head. "Just you, Shen. I'll have to test each student myself, before accepting them." And with that, he touched against Tien's forehead, above the third eye. Sifting through his memories. He smiled. "Finally, one with the soul of a true Martial Artist...Tien, I will train you, but you must promise me one thing."

"Anything, Master Korin."

"You are not allowed to kill for money ever again." He glared at the old man, who winced. "I'd give you the same condition, but you would break it as soon as you think you've escaped my sight."

"But- I'm an assassin, it's the way of the Crane School!" Tien protested.

"But it is not the way of God, and not the way of a true Martial Artist." The Elder Cat said sagely.

"I-"

"Promise me. Or I will not train you."

"Tien, I-" Korin raised a hand sharply.

"You will let him speak." Korin ordered. "Tien will choose for himself whether my training, and joining the forces trying to save the world, are worth forsaking his cruel previous teachings."

"I... won't be able to be a part of the Crane School. I'm an assassin, it's who I am... but the world is worth more than that. This training, the training of the God of Martial Arts, takes precedence." He turned to Shen. "I'm sorry Master."

Shen seemed irritated. "You've stolen my best student from me Korin." Shen growled. "This training had better make us a match for that monster."

"It'll be a good start." He smiled up at the Triclops. "Tien Shinhan, with that promise, you are worthy of becoming my student."

Chiaotzu came a few hours after the others, breathing heavily. Korin was there immediately, feeding him a senzu bean and offering him some water. With a tap to his forehead, the Elder Cat frowned. "...You, more than any of the others, do not possess the soul of a Martial Artist... but you have a great amount of devotion to your fellow student and your master, and determination to become strong and win." He nodded. "I will train you."

The Cat then stood in the center of the room, the three Crane School fighters opposite him. "Well then, let our training begin... no, I have a mission for all of you, part of your training journey. Find..." he looked down at his paw, counting them off. "There are several Masters that should join us, we need all the help we can get. The best in the world."

Shen nodded. "First and foremost on that list, is your rival, the Turtle Hermit, as well as his student the Ox King."

"Y-you expect us to work with him?!"

"Isn't the sake of the world enough to give up your rivalry for but a few years?"

"...Fine." The old man said, adjusting his sunglasses in irritation.

"After that, is Son Goku, a boy of the same clan as the monster you sensed here. But Son Goku, as opposed to this monster, has the soul of a Martial Artist, and loves humans. Then your brother, Master Shen, and several of the upper-ranked members of the terrorist organization he is currently appealing to. Beside them, the fighters King Chappa, Nam, Devilman, Giran, and Ranfan, as well as the swordsman Yajirobe. Bring them to me, and we'll begin our training in earnest. We need all the forces we can get to fight this enemy."

"That's... a long list of people, Master Korin."

"They're the best fighters in the world, of course there's not enough for an army, but together we should have a promising fighting force." He pointed outwards. "Now get going!" He then grinned evilly. "And remember, when you come back, be sure to climb the tower. I won't forgive you for flying."

The three nodded, and took off into the skies to search for the martial artists on the list.

* * *

The monster was infinitely faster than him. He shot from place to place in minutes, crossing distances in a half-hour that would take Roshi days to move on his turtle. And worst of all, he was flying using that damn Crane School Sky Dance. It was a useful technique, to be sure. But he would be damned before he started using that bastard's moves.

He realized soon enough that it was a futile effort to try and chase after Vegeta. He would get half way there, plotting a course so that he would intersect with the monster, but then the monster would change directions, forcing Roshi to turn as well to meet up with him. It was an impossible task. unless he could get Vegeta to stay in one place, he wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

He was just getting dizzy.

Sighing, he guided the spinning turtle back home to the Kame House. As he approached, he noted a small figure standing on the beach. "Maaster Rooooosshi!" He shouted, waving.

"Goku! Already here?! I told you to go look for Master Korin!"

Goku shook his head. "You weren't going to catch up with him..." the boy said sadly. "He can do the kamehameha too! And he's evil, and super, super fast!" He sat down in the sand, looking sad. "So, you were going to come back sooner or later."

"Hm..." Master Roshi said, nodding. "Well, it was wise of you. And all you said was true. I can't catch up to Vegeta, no one on Earth can, I think."

"So, can we begin training?"

"Hrmm... I don't know. I've been thinking of staying retired. You've got a lot of potential, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to invest back in the world of Martial Arts quite yet." He looked around. "Say, where did that 'puff-puff' girl of yours go?"

"Bulma, she went home to stay with her dad while they build a trap for Vegeta!"

"A trap- don't let them get near that monster, aggravating him won't help anyone!"

"Don't worry, Bulma's really smart." Goku said definitively. "She'll figure something out."

"If you say so... but either way, my training's not for free! You'll have to bring me a babe."

"A babe?"

"A girl, a woman, like your friend the puff-puff."

"Her name is Bulma."

"Yes, yes, a girl who looks like Bulma. Bring her here, and then we'll see about training you."

"Alright!"

* * *

Two girls, a nosebleed, and a concussion later, Master Roshi was having second thoughts about sending Goku out again.

"Hey, who's that?" Goku asked, pointing out toward the sea.

"It's a boat... and there's something on it."

"It's shiny." Goku whispered. Suddenly, abandoing his boat, the boy in it launched himself through the air, colliding with the sand shore and getting half-way buried.

"Help him out Goku." The Master said, raising an eyebrow.

The Saiyan grabbed his legs and gave him a tug, yanking him out of the dirt.

"Oh... uh, thank you." He turned toward the old man, giving a deep respectful bow. "Are you the Invincible Old Master, the Turtle Hermit Roshi?"

"None other." He said, pleased with the title.

"I've traveled from a distant land in the far East, seeking only the chance to train under you, Master! My name is Krillin."

"Well, then it's a real shame I rarely take on disciples." He said, waving him off. "Have fun on your trip home."

Krillin gave an evil smirk, and pulled a magazine from his bag. "Please, take this token of my admiration, hopefully you will reconsider."

The old man grabbed the book and shoved his face into it, "Perhaps I've been too hasty in my judgement."

Krillin smiled, turning to Goku. "So, who are you, a disciple?"

"Yep!" Goku said, "Master Roshi is training me so that I can fight a monster. What are you here for?"

"I'm here to become a really great fighter, so that I can get a girlfriend!"

Roshi sighed. "If it was only that easy." He turned toward the two of them. "And remember, you're not my disciples yet! You've still got to find me a babe!"

"Master, do we really have time for this, Vegeta is still out there!"

"And like I said, my training doesn't come free, and even if you trained a whole year, you still wouldn't be able to match Vegeta in strength!"

"Um... who is this Vegeta guy?"

"He murdered one of my friends. And a lot of other people. He can fly super fast, and he's evil and super strong. He can blow things up just by pointing at them, like Master Roshi!"

"He sounds like a scary guy..." Krillin began. "Are... are we training to beat him?"

"Yep!" Goku said smiling. "Or at least I am."

"Well, good luck with that." He pulled up his shorts sligthly, tightening his belt. "Well, let's find our master a girl."

"Are you sure you two can do it?" Roshi asked seriously. "Goku has no taste in women."

Krillin smirked, gesturing at the magazine. "I'd like to think that you and I are both men of taste Master."

Master Roshi nodded. "Well then, off you go."

* * *

A girl sneezed, and then grinned savagely as her hair turned a bright gold. "Been too long." Looking at the bank across the street, her grin deepened. "And looks like I've stumbled across some good luck!"


	5. Chapter 5

The bullets rang past her, and she couldn't help but laugh, high on adrenaline. Her motor wheel was faster than the cop's hover cars, but they managed to force her into a valley.

Not that that would help them. She grinned as she pulled the pin out of a grenade with her teeth, tossing it back at them and knocking out one of the cars, simultaneously making the other stop firing in an attempt to avoid the explosion. She pulled a sharp turn and made her way back toward the police car, flashing past it and grinding up the hill, flinging herself and her vehicle out of the small valley. The third car spun around a corner, flying out of the valley and after her.

Once again, the sound of machinegun fire filled the air. With an evil smirk, she drew her own gun out of her bag, aiming it at the policeman driving.

The man inside realized that he was in her sights and shouted, gripping the wheel tightly in fear. She let out a single harsh laugh and began to pull the trigger.

That was when something began tickling her nose. "Agh! Not now! Not now!" But it was too late, and she started sniffling, before letting out a loud sneeze.

And with that Launch was flung off of her bike, screaming and without any idea what she was doing here.

She pulled herself off the ground, coughing, when two policemen left the car, pointing guns at her. "We've got you now Launch, you're under arrest! D-Don't try to resist, or we'll shoot!" One stammered.

"Who are you?" She asked, scared, backing away. "What do you want with me?"

"What do you mean 'who'? We're the police! You just took down two of our cars!"

"Did- Did I do something wrong again?"

"Wrong?! Let's just arrest her and be done with it." He grumbled, pulling out a set of cuffs.

"No! I didn't do it, it was- oh dear! Help! Someone help me!"

* * *

"Someone just shouted 'help'!" Goku said, staring down at the ground.

Krillin frowned, before pointing at a car on the ground. "It's a girl! And she's being attacked."

"Then let's go save her!"

"Wait, I mean, yeah, we're supposed to. But, we don't have any training yet, and those guys have guns!"

"If we're supposed to save her, let's save her!" The Saiyan shouted gleefully, guiding his cloud toward the ground and shooting forward. Once he was close enough, he jumped up and did a somersault, landing on the ground behind the two cops.

"Goku you're insane!" Krillin yelled, jumping off of Goku's back and taking cover behind a rock. "I'm not with him!" He shouted back to the policemen.

"Kids playing heroes then. Get out of here, this woman is a dangerous-" the policeman began, but he was interrupted by a palm-strike to his arm, and then was knocked out by a kick to his face. The other Policeman slowly raised his weapon, not really comprehending what just happened.

Goku merely smiled, and launched himself forward in a headbutt, knocking into the other man. "Huh. Guess these guys only thought they were tough." He said, shrugging, before turning and smiling at the woman.

"Oh! You saved me, thank you!" The blue-haired girl said.

"It was nothing." Krillin said proudly.

"Krillin, do you think the Master will like her?"

The bald monk looked her up and down once, grinning at her innocently questioning face. "I think she'll do fine!"

Goku smiled, nodding and summoning the Kinto'un. "Climb aboard!" He said happily.

"Oh?" She took a step on carefully, and Krillin jumped to try and catch her, as he expected her to fall through. The cloud merely accepted her, and she knelt on it. Goku smiled, grabbing Krillin and tossing him to Launch before guiding the Cloud up and into the air. "Ah! It flies."

"You can stand on it, so that means you're a good person!" He said happily.

"Um, not that I'm not grateful, but where are we going?"

"To the Kame House!" Goku said, not really explaining anything.

"Ah." She accepted. "And who lives there?"

"Just us, a Turtle, and the Master!"

"I didn't see a turtle." Krillin said.

"I think he may have gotten lost again." Goku said, smiling. "Ah well, you'll love it there!"

"Alright." She said, and looked out over the ocean. She was a wanderer by nature after all, and these boys had saved her. Why not? The island got closer and closer, and she smiled at the little place with the tiny house on it. "How cozy looking."

Not to mention a deserted island would be the perfect place to avoid the cops for a while. It really was a shame her other side got into trouble so often.

* * *

Master Roshi hurried outside, seeing Krillin and the woman they brought having a conversation about some kind of train robbery. Giving her a quick glanceover, he let out a loud cheer, "My boys, you've done it!"

"So... this one's okay?" Goku asked, unsure.

"More than okay!" He agreed.

Krillin leaned up to him. "Now, she's a little baby-faced, but her body... hehehe."

"Agreed! I hereby accept all of you as my disciples!"

"Wait, 'all of you', Launch too?" Krillin asked.

"Why not?" The old man blushed. "There's a severe lack of female fighters in the world. I'm sure as hell contributing to making it more even." he justified.

"Oh, I'm not sure. Isn't the training for martial arts incredibly difficult?"

Krillin, smiled widely. "Hey, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! There's no fighter alive who wouldn't kill for the chance to learn from the great Invincible Turtle Sage! His training is worth more than all the gold in the world. His last famous student managed to conquer an entire city by himself!"

"Damn it Ox..." Roshi grumbled. "But that, is a misuse of the Martial Arts. They are to train your mind and body, allow you to fight for what's right, to accomplish all that you set forth to do!"

"But honestly, this chance is too good to pass up!" Krillin assured.

"Well, alright then! I'll try my best!"

"Good! Now then, let's all put on the official uniform of the Turtle School!"

The day would end with him being shot in the head.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but I warned you about my split personality..."

"It's fine, it's fine. Not the first time a woman's shot me for putting her in a strange outfit." He laughed out loud. The four of them were in a smallish boat, the Kame House inside a capsule in Roshi's pocket, heading for his traditional training grounds.

"Sorry about the long ride." Goku said to Launch. "But Krillin and Master Roshi can't ride the Kinto'un like we can."

Roshi nodded. "It pays you quite the compliment Launch, that you are pure of heart enough to ride the Kinto'un. Even a sage like myself, who has trained for years, cannot purify my heart to such a degree. Truly, it is a rare gift."

"I thought it was because we were both perverts..." Krillin whispered.

"Shut up."

"So! How do we go about becoming stronger to fight Vegeta!"

"Patience, Goku. I'm not sending you up against that monster unprepared. We'll bide our time, train hard, so that we can take down that monster decisively."

"...Okay."

"Ah! There it is, that island is the perfect place to begin our training, the locals know me. I've been training students here for over two hundred years!"

"Ah, yeah, Master Roshi is ancient, isn't he?" Krillin said, awed. "Just goes to show how martial arts can extend your life."

"Er... yes. But drinking the fountain of youth doesn't exactly hurt!" He said, laughing. "I only wish I found it before I became wrinkled and gray."

"Wait... you're immortal?" Krillin asked, his eyes widening.

"Ehehehe! Well, mostly." He gestured at his wound-less forehead. "That's not just a thick skull I've got here."

"But, Mean Launch shot you there!"

"Yep." He ran the boat onto the sand line, and climbed out, turning it back into a capsule. "Now, then, let's go. Everyone jogging, training starts now! I own a patch of land up the hill, that'll be our base for now."

* * *

"Training, training!" Goku sung, watching as the Turtle Hermit summoned his house into existence onto a bare spot on the ground.

"Me too?" Launch asked.

"You can do what you like my dear!" Roshi said happily.

"In that case, I'll go cook dinner." She said, making for the house, but Goku stepped in front of her.

"No! We're here to train. Eating can be later!" He said definitively. "You can't skip the first day of training, what if you don't start to train at all!"

Krillin nodded. "Each hour with the Turtle Hermit must be worth it's weight in gold! This isn't something you should waste."

"You two, how rude! If she wants to cook while we get a head start, than that's fine-"

"No, no they're right. I was just feeling a bit tried." She said, bowing. "But I'm ready to begin, please go easy on me."

"Hm... Alright then. All of you, what's your previous experience with Martial Arts?"

"I've spent the last eight years studying martial arts at the Orrin Temple." Krillin said proudly.

"My grandpa taught me everything I know." Goku said, just as proudly.

"Um... I mostly just let my bad side fight most of the time... but she's always done a lot of running and fist fighting, but mostly she uses a machine gun."

"Hm... well, the two of you," he gestured to the boys, "have already got a head start in the fundamentals, but Launch here has the advantage in age and body-type. She's got longer legs and arms than either of you, and has had more time to build up her muscles... hm... alright. We're going to focus on physical strength for now, and then move on to technique. A good technique can let you defeat a stronger opponent, but it's always a good idea to have the edge in ability as well! Alright."

He walked out into the field, standing by a rock and pointing to a tree. "It's exactly one hundred meters between here and there. How many seconds do you think it'll take you?"

Krillin proudly ran the distance in ten seconds, Goku in eleven, and then eight after getting new shoes.

Launch ran it in 16 seconds.

"Hmmm..." Master Roshi intoned, frowning. "Krillin, you and Goku are both in the elite in the scale of normal humans, you could outperform most olympians, I salute you for the training you've done so far. Launch... we're going to have to work you hard if you want to catch up to Krillin and Goku, understand?"

"I'm... I'll try me best." She affirmed.

"Don't worry. All of you are still within the limits of normal humans, but we will move past those limits. All three of you will breach the wall of humanity, and move on to being not practitioners of Martial Arts, but Martial Artists, in fullness."

* * *

That day Master Roshi went through all of his first-day activities for the students. In most competitions, Goku was in the lead, Krillin just behind, except when the monk could trick Goku. Unfortunately, Launch came in dead-last in every activity, nearly exhausted at the end of the day while the other two were just tired. It wasn't looking especially hopeful for her prospects, Roshi decided, but it did her credit in determination.

Master Roshi made dinner that night, as Launch fell asleep nearly as soon as they got home. The sounds of the two kids yelling and running through the house made the old Master happy in a way he hadn't been since Son Gohan and Ox were the ages of the two boys. Maybe he had been in retirement too long.

The sound of one of the windows breaking had him considering he maybe hadn't stayed in retirement long enough.

Tucking away Launch into bed, sneaking a peek as he did so, he ended their first day of training.

* * *

Vegeta couldn't believe it. He leaves them alone to torture a guy for what, ten minutes? Twenty? And they're gone. And here he was about to reward her for giving him the chance at immortality. He was so happy, he was even about to be nice to the brat for a bit, maybe help him along his first rampage. Seeing the condition of the world, he knew for sure that the muchkin hadn't had a decent one yet.

But no. They left, and after he had bothered to save them. No matter, he would find them. Even if he had to go one-by-one to every town on the planet.

He smiled. And there were so many of them too. So many humans, all so weak.

He flew to the closest concentration of power levels, and landed in the middle of the city. Some of them stared at him, some simply went along their way.

He raised his fingers, pumping energy into them.

And then thought better of it. The Dragon Balls could be anywhere, after all. It wouldn't do to accidently blow one of them up and lose his chance at immortality forever. But that just meant he couldn't do anything big and flashy. It didn't mean he had to hold himself back. Grabbing a nearby man, he smiled. "Hello, tell me, where's a fun place to go in this city?"

"Let me go!" Shrugging, he threw the man straight up as hard as he could, the man vanishing from sight, and, possibly, the atmosphere. He turned to a woman and grabbed her shoulder. "Is there anything fun to do in this city? I'm new here."

"There's the amusement park, I suppose." She answered, looking slightly annoyed at the touch.

"Thank you. You get to live for now then." He let her go and flew over the city, looking for the amusement park. Upon seeing the strange buildings unlike any of the others, on the outskirts of the town, he decided to fly over there. Floating above the crowds of unaware humans going about the fair, he smirked evilly. Where to begin?

He floated over to the roller coaster, watching it go through a cycle once, before flying forward and putting his hand against one of the support beams. He watched, grinning as the coaster started up again, the cars ascending the slope. He then blasted through the support, crashing part of the track just as it turned to an incline, and watched as the cars, at the top of the hill, shot downwards, past his gap, and into the air, the screams of excitement turning to screams of fear as they crashed into the crowded fairgrounds. He laughed maniacally, and began shooting beams sporadically downwards, picking out anyone who caught his fancy and incinerating them. Soon enough, the crowded fairgrounds were in absolute chaos, and the riots began to rage through it. Bright red trucks came to try and put out fires, and he blasted them away. Going over to the Ferris Wheel, he cut it free from its support with his beams, and then shoved it forward with a burst of ki, sending it rolling through the park, before it crashed into another ride and collapsed in on itself, and then falling over.

The screams were music to his ears, and he laughed along to the beat.

* * *

Master Roshi had a hard time sleeping that night.

* * *

Master Shen didn't really know where to begin. He had agreed almost immediately that the three Crane School fighters should split up in order to cover more ground, but not many of the names were ones he recognized.

Of those he did, Master Roshi, the Ox King, and King Chappa were the only ones that he knew where they lived. He would be damned if he sent one of his students to beg at the feet of his rival, and so the only thing to do would be to go himself.

It had been nearly a week since he first sensed the monster, and he had been searching for three days. On the second day, he reached Kame House Island, and then, upon finding the island house-less, he searched the surrounding islands exhaustively. The Crane School, being a respectable organization, had an elaborate castle-like dojo located in the mountains, as befitted a mysterious and legendary school of Martial Arts. The Turtle School had a small house, with all the modern amenities, including of all things a TV, that he picked up and moved to another location when he, you know, bothered to train.

It was disgusting, honestly. And yet, and it pained him to admit it, the Turtle Hermit was the stronger of the two of them. But Shen was still in the lead, in their centuries-long feud, as his younger brother was even stronger than Roshi, and Shen's students were better than Roshi's students, if he had any. He was the better teacher, and if he really, really wanted to, he could get Tao Pai Pai to kill him.

It would be that simple, and yet, he never did it. The Feud brought him customers... and Roshi was his fellow-student, both of them trained under Master Mutaito. He couldn't allow anyone else to finish the job, and it was as simple as that.

He finally found him on one of the nearby islands, his ridiculous tiny house sitting on top of a hill, camouflaged by looking like any of the other dozens of houses on island. Master Shen floated down and walked inside. The fool didn't bother leaving a lock on the door. Inside, it was a mess. Blankets on the floor, training supplies littering the floorboards and shelves. The condition of the kitchen, as well as the sheer amount of boxes from delivery restaurants, made him almost want to throw up.

He spent an hour going through the house, poking his nose through his rivals things. He found an assortment of trophies, an embarrassing amount of dirty magazines, videos, and bizarre outfits that he wanted to burn out of his memories. Honestly, the whole experience just made him hate his long-term acquaintance even more.

Finally, around noon, Master Roshi marched to the house, followed by two exhausted boys, both around twelve, and, after a few minutes, an extremely exhausted woman. All of them were covered in mud and dirt, filth and bruises, cuts and bee stings, and, most disgustingly, the residue of their last meal all over their shirts. Even the woman's. All of them were wearing the obscene iron turtle shells on their backs.

"Hello, Turtle Master. Still as bald as ever. You and your great-great-great-great grandkids playing in the mud?"

"Why, if it isn't the Crane Master. I wonder, is it worse to be bald eternally, or to just have that embarrassing halfhearted mess?"

"Pervert."

"Thug."

"Idiot!"

"Bigger idiot!"

"Cheap excuse of a martial artist!"

"Over-exaggerated underling for hire!"

The two were at each other's throats, their respective mustaches and beards frizzled like cat's whiskers. "What the hell are you doing at my house? Stealing magazines? Can't the master assassin afford to buy his own smut?"

"I don't indulge in that disgusting filth, Roshi." He growled. "In case you didn't notice, there's something bigger than us, bigger than our feud. You're here, out in the sticks playing with children, when that thing is on the loose, threatening the entire world."

"Are you talking about Vegeta?" Goku asked, his expression becoming hard. "We're training to defeat him."

"These your new disciples, Turtle Master?"

"Yes."

Shen's eyes widened when he took note of the tail on Goku. "That boy... he's the boy from the same clan as that monster! Isn't he?!"

Master Roshi's eyes glinted dangerously, radiating an aura of killing intent. "Shen. Don't you dare touch that boy. He's got nothing to do with Vegeta. That monster killed one of his friends, among his many other victims."

"...I've been to see Master Korin."

"Hah! Like he would ever train an asshole as evil as you!"

"...He wants to gather the strongest Martial Artists in the world." He said, frowning. "You're on that list, as well as that boy, and your disciple the Ox King. The best the world has to offer, acting together, to face off against this 'Vegeta'."

"...Fine, but I have an obligation to my students. You'll see. Just... give me six months with them, and they'll all be able to stand with the best alongside you and I in Korin Tower."

"Six months?! We only have a year until he literally destroys the planet!" Shen growled.

"Wh-what?!"

"We need to begin training the masters immediately! Because the God of Martial Arts thinks there's potential in the monkey, you can bring him along, but honestly, if you want to do the right thing, leave your other two students here, where it'll be safe."

"I gave you my decision Shen. Gather the other Masters. I'll train these three to the point they can match any of them!"

"Impossible! What makes you think you can match what Korin can teach?!"

"I trained with Korin for three long years Shen." He said proudly. "I've incorporated his methods into the training of all my students!"

"...Fine. I'll tell the God of Martial Arts you're willing to risk the world's safety for two children, and because you think you're better than him." He flew off without another word.

"Master, who was that?" Krillin asked, shocked at the entire conversation.

"My old rival, the Crane Master. We trained under the same master. However, since then, his heart's been gripped by evil."

"Should... should we train with that Korin guy, like all the others?" Goku asked. "If it's to beat Vegeta-"

"No. None of you are ready for Korin's level of training yet. But, now that I know we have a deadline... We'll have to skip the Tenkaichi Budokai this year... though, if Korin's gathering all the best Martial Artists in the world, there aren't likely to be competition that could stand up to you in eight months." He clapped his hands once. "Alright! We're speeding up the regimen! You have four months to master these shells, until you can move quicker and easier than before you put them on." He turned to Launch, seeing the girl still not able to catch her breath. "Launch, dear, if you want, we can lessen the training on you. Both of these boys spent their childhoods building up their bodies and martial arts, that's an advantage you don't have. I promise to still train you, but you don't have to undergo the same strict regimen as these two if-"

Bad Launch grinned, pulling herself off the ground with a great deal of effort, "These... these turtle shells are nothing! Don't you dare look down on me, I'll catch up with the rest of you knuckleheads, soon, no cop in the whole damn world will be able to catch me."

The Master sighed, nodding. Both personalities of the girl had taken to the training with surprising determination. Nice Launch, to prove herself useful, and Bad Launch, after Krillin explained just how rare and valuable the training of Master Roshi would make her, and the demonstration's of Roshi's strength. Nice Launch wanted to be a hero, Bad Launch wanted to be unstoppable.

They had ambition, and although it didn't replace stamina or previous training, it wasn't a bad start.

"Alright. The plan before was to finish your training in eight months; in time for the Tenkaichi Budokai. Now, we will finish it in six months, in time to join the best fighters in the world train to fight against the monster Vegeta. We're not only fighting to improve yourselves, but fighting for the sake of the world."

* * *

King Chappa was pulled off the ground, smarting a bruise to his face. He had been beaten, soundly, quickly, and efficiently. The three-eyed man in front of him was something else. He floated off the ground, and although he hadn't required it in their pathetically short fight, he could create bursts of light from his hands, that could explode like grenades when thrown, or pierce like bullets.

"And, you're saying, that with this Master Korin's and Master Shen's training... I could do stuff like this too?" He asked, almost unbelieving.

"Definitely. You have the skill and the potential. For someone unaware of ki, you're a deadly fighter, one of the top in the world. After all, the God of Martial Arts has requested you."

"I'll... I'll go pack."

* * *

Chiaotzu frowned, looking at the small girl, and the flung blade that hung suspended in his telekinesis between them. "Get out of here! What do you want with my dad!?"

"We need him to fight a monster." Chiaotzu answered simply, tossing the blade away. "A really strong one. His master, Roshi will be there."

"Hey!" Shouted the massive form of the Ox King. "What do you think you're doing with my daughter?!"

"She attacked me." Chiaotzu answered, confused. "Anyway, you have to come with me now."

"You're one of those Crane School goons!" He accused, looking at the colors of his uniform. "A Turtle never gives up his pride! I'll take you down right here, never come to my village ever again!" He flung himself forward in a massively powerful kick, and the small Jiang Shi dodged backwards through the air.

"Seriously, just come with me. We're trying to save the world."

"You fiends!" The Ox King roared, charging once more.

Chi Chi sighed.

* * *

Ranfan dodged a kick from the old man, and she frowned, before starting to cry. "H-how dare you-" she dodged a palm-thrust, growling. "Hey! What kind of man makes a woman cry and doesn't apologize?!"

"What kind of Martial Artist relies so much on cheap bluffs?" Master Shen replied. "Your speed and strength are excellent, and you throw hard blows... but you rely too much on your looks and gender getting you what you want." He grinned evilly. "I've killed women, children, old people, young people. Against someone with no mercy, you'll have to rely-" he flashed forward, and Ranfan did a hard chop that passed through the neck of his afterimage, "-on your skills!" And with a kick to the back of her neck, she was down. "...Come with me, and the God of Martial Arts will make a real warrior out of you."

* * *

Tien frowned at the desert, looking down at the man in the turban. "Of course I'll go with you." Nam said, "Anything to protect the world."

"What about your village?"

"Heh, if this Korin is indeed a God, he'll grant his student enough of something as simple as water to save his village."

* * *

Chiaotzu dodged under a wild swing from the Ox King, and then ducked to avoid a laser beam from his daughter. Trying to catch them in his telekinesis, he had to break away after only a moment, as she had learned that by mentally firing at his hands, he would break concentration.

They were a deadly combo, and neither would listen to reason. "There's this monstrous guy named Vegeta, who's been blowing up towns and-"

"Let me guess?! He's one of the Crane School's best friends?!"

"NO! We're trying to KILL HIM."

"Murderous Crane School backstabbers!" He roared.

"Oh my god." Chiaotzu whispered, facepalming, before rushing to get out of the way of a massive ax.

* * *

Tien fought the Dragon until he was hard of breath. He had the clear advantage in both strength and skill, but Giran wasn't a slouch, and was a good strategist to boot. It didn't help Tien's chances much that the dragon had all sorts of tricks like gum that's as hard as iron, the ability to fly, and claws. But in the end, Tien's use of ki, and his ability to overpower the beast, lead to his decisive victory.

"Heh, and to think, I was going to challenge the Tenkaichi Budokai this year too. Well, go ahead, kill me." the dragon grinned savagely. "I've got a pretty big bounty in a lot of different countries. I'll tell you which ones have the highest if you'll cover a decent last meal."

"...I don't kill for money any more. I promised the God of Martial Arts, and for that matter, he's requested you. There's a monster who's going to destroy the world, and we need you on our side to help defeat him."

* * *

Master Shen appeared before Baba and gave a short bow. When Roshi discovered the fountain of youth so long ago, they had both shared the location with their closest family. Fortuneteller Baba, was given the drink of immortality by Roshi, the same way Shen gave his brother Tao Pai Pai a drink. Of the four of them, Tao Pai Pai was the youngest, and exploited his immortality the most, becoming the strongest of the four of them.

"Baba."

"Shen. You are here for Devilman, I presume?"

"Yes, Korin demands to have him join us."

"Heh, in your dreams. Devilman doesn't care about the fate of this world, he's simply my paid fighter. But he'll join you, at my personal expense, at the moment of need."

"What's so powerful about this Devilman anyway? That would make him worthy of Korin?"

"Oh! He's not worthy of Korin in the slightest, although he's an excellent Martial Artist. You see, the reason Korin wants Devilman with the rest of you, is that Devilman has the ability to instantly kill anyone with an evil heart."

"Wh-"

"Hehehe... don't you worry your silly little head Shen. Just get back to Korin. Tell him that thousands will die, but that the Earth can still be saved if you all join together." She gazed into her Crystal Ball. "...It really is a unfortunate set of circumstances."

* * *

Korin himself appeared before Yajirobe, who was grilling a slab of dinosaur meat. "Hey, wanna save the world from an unbeatable monster?"

"What, hell no! Who are you, talking cat creature?!"

"Tough luck. The world's going to blow up at the end of the year, and we can only stop it if we get the strongest men on earth together."

"What, but, but I'm a coward! I don't fight people who are stronger than me!"

"Then get stronger, so that no one exists who you have to be afraid of." He bowed. "My name is Korin, the God of Martial Arts."


	6. Chapter 6

Tao Pai Pai grinned, walking toward the tower, flanked by the strongest warriors of the Terrorist Organization that took the world by storm. Generals Blue and White, Colonels Violet and Silver, and the five Murasaki brothers. Following just behind them were the two successful Battle-Androids created by Doctor Gero. "Eight", and "Major Metallitron".

It was a formidable group. Silver was a master boxer, Blue a supernatural martial artist, similar to Tao himself, White a professional wrestler, Violet an expert sniper, and the Murasaki brothers made a deadly team of master assassins, each proficient with a multitude of weapons, modern and ancient. And the two androids possessed powers beyond the normal human, massive strength, internal weaponry, and powerful engines within themselves, capable of putting out enough energy to rival a Dodon Ray.

And, when the time came, they would have the full military might of the Red Ribbon Army behind them. Commander Red was a firm believer in the power of the Dragon Balls, and knowing that Vegeta was after them as well, made him a target worth devoting their resources to beating into the ground. Even the Battle Jackets. Vegeta was obscenely powerful, but they would have a resounding victory. Not even Tao would be able to survive with the full might of the Red Ribbon Army against him, and it was for this reason he treated the army with respect, and kept a firm relationship with the organization.

The Guardians of the Sacred Land of Korin, Bora and Upa, stood to the side near their hut, glaring at them suspiciously. But Korin himself had told them to let any strong martial artist, good or evil, climb the sacred tower, as Korin needed an army to oppose the threat of Vegeta.

He stood at the foot of the tower, and began to float upwards, using the Sky Dance. His preferred method of flight was throwing an object, and riding on it, as it didn't require sustained effort, but in this case, the flight seemed appropriate. Beneath him, the Red Ribbon's elite got into helicopters and followed. He could have gotten to the top in less than ten minutes, floating on his own, but the helicopters were obnoxiously slow. Sighing, he pushed each one from below, sending them spiraling upwards.

He shot after them, passing them, and once he came within view of the building at the top, he stopped each of the copters, setting them on the top of the building precariously as the group filtered into the building.

It was getting crowded in Korin's Tower. The building only had two floors, the main open 'dojo' room, surrounded with railings and facing the sky, and the 'living' room that those who climb the tower enter from, and where he kept the Holy Objects, as well as the food, bath, and other necessities. As it was, the three Crane School artists, the five masters they had sought out, the Ox King and his small daughter, and now Tao Pai Pai and the twelve warriors from Red Ribbon, and last but not least Master Korin, had the entire area extremely cramped.

Korin sighed. This was why he had never started a school. Turning toward the newest group, the twelve Red Ribbons, he growled. "So, you thought you could just go and ride a helicopter up?!" Pointing over the side, he frowned. "What all of you are going to do, is you're going to fly right back down there, and then you're going to climb up the tower like everyone else here."

Tao Pai Pai narrowed his eyes, approaching the cat. "You dare lecture us?"

"If I'm meant to be your teacher, I think it's well within my rights." The cat said, smiling. "And I must test each of you. All of those who are here, have proven themselves first by honestly climbing the tower, and then from my examining their memories and intentions. If they are not true Martial Artists, or do not have the potential to become ones, they will be sent away."

The mercenary swiped out with a kick, only to be blocked by Korin's staff. The others there stood as far as they could, to give the two powerhouses enough room to fight earnestly. Tao was on the offensive, swinging his legs back and forth over where, when he began each kick, Korin was. But the cat was fast, and could sense each blow before Tao Pai Pai could begin the swing. Delivering a palm-strike to the inside of Tao's leg, he brought the warrior to his knees, but Tao merely broke into a roll, tackling towards the cat and then jumping back to throw a punch, trying to predict where Korin would move.

Korin sighed, and jabbed with the staff, hiding under the jumping Tao and making the man fold, the staff's head pressing deeply into his stomach. With a gag, Tao nearly fell unconscious. Korin tossed him over the railing, toward the forest below. Turning toward the Red Ribbon soldiers, he gestured upwards. "You have three minutes to get your helicopters off my tower." He pointed a thumb behind him at where he had thrown Tao. "Or else I'm sending them, and then you, back to the ground the same way I sent Tao Pai Pai. All of you who want my training, had better climb the tower."

* * *

It was four days, spent in close quarters, sparring in too-close quarters, arguing over space and availability of the bath and other facilities. The warriors of Korin's tower didn't make much progress as they waited for the Red Ribbons to climb the tower the normal way. Unsurprisingly, an injured Tao Pai Pai was the first to reach the top via the tower. Soon after him followed the two androids.

Korin didn't really know what to make of the two of them. Metallitron and Eight were normally quite quiet. They had no ki to speak of, but Korin didn't want to write them off just yet. Eight occasionally spoke with the other martial artists, choosing to spend time with them rather than with the Red Ribbons. He and the youngest fighter there, Chi Chi, got along famously. Metallitron on the other end was all business, seemingly soulless, but he had emotions just the same as Eight. It was just that the Android Major was devoted to his mission above and before anything else, and didn't care much for anything not involved in it.

After the two androids, the Murasaki Brothers were next, the stamina of the ninja being nothing to balk at. Blue, being a super-martial artist, had the strength and stamina needed to climb a tower for mulitple days. Both were evil men, but ninja had their own kind of martial artist's pride that Korin could approve of, and Blue pursued his own physical strength more diligently than anyone else in the RR, so Korin accepted their intentions.

Several days later, Violet and Silver came up together, having taken shifts climbing and resting in order to make the impossible climb with only human-level strength. The knowledge that the Red Ribbon Army would have them erased if they failed the only thing keeping them going. Korin didn't particularly like what he found in their minds, but he accepted them. After three more days, Korin confirmed that White had given up in the climb.

"Well... Everyone that's coming, has come." The Cat announced to the crowded building. "There are a few others-" groans and sighs permeated the small crowd, "-but they'll be joining us at a later point in our training. For now, we are moving to a new area to train, a larger, harsher, environment." He walked to the edge, and in an instant Mr. Popo, riding on his carpet appeared. "This is Mr. Popo, the assistant of Kami." He said. "We will be going to the Lookout of the Guardian of the Earth, to train with the facilities there."

"One at a time now, please get on the carpet."

Tao, as the strongest, jumped on first, and everyone felt a bit of fear as they disappeared for several moments, before Mr. Popo, staring eerily, re-materialized with the carpet, alone. "Next."

It took several minutes for everyone to be moved up to the lookout, and when Korin himself went with Popo up to the top, he was greeted by the sight of Master Shen screaming at the Namek.

"It's- It's the Demon King!" Master Shen shouted. "You were the second malicious energy!"

The Nameless Namek grinned at him. "No, but... in a way, I am Demon King Piccolo's son." He thought for a second. "One of his children... ah." He looked up at the entire group, raising his arms to the sky. "My name is Duet! Heir to Demon King Piccolo, and Heir to Guardian Kami!"

"This monster's... father, tried to conquer the world in my day, and he very nearly succeeded! It took my master sacrificing his life to beat the first Piccolo, now his son appears, and his energy is ten times the amount it was before!"

"Feel free to challenge me if it makes you feel better, Shen. But you know you'll lose instantly. As is, we all face a common threat; Vegeta." He gestured to himself. "Humans, I'm your best shot at survival. I have no plans to exterminate you, or to destroy my planet. I'm infinitely preferable to Vegeta, and all of you should recognize this while you have the chance."

Master Korin put a paw on Master Shen's shoulder, nodding. "He's right. We need his help. We all need to focus on the biggest threat."

"...Fine. But after this is all over, and we humans have become powerful enough, we'll come after you, and avenge all those your father killed!" Master Shen cried.

"Hahaha! Fine!" Duet walked over and grabbed Shen's hand, giving it a firm shake. "We'll see if you survive the training here, then."

Popo nodded. "The air is thinner, the sunlight harsher, the temperatures more extreme. We'll be training you hard, in hard conditions." He nodded.

Duet ignited his energy, making all who could sense it flinch, spreading his arms wide and giving a sarcastic bow. "To start off with, all of you are going to attack me together. Only when one of you lands a blow will you be allowed to rest, or eat, or even take a piss. Am I understood? I won't be so cruel to request that each of you individually land a hit, but perhaps, all together, using the spirit of camaraderie, someone'll manage to hit me."

The Lookout was silent for a few seconds, and Duet laughed. "Well?! Come at me!"

* * *

Vegeta laughed maniacally, watching as the city below burned. It took a while to figure out, how exactly, he could take down buildings in a satisfactorily dragon ball-safe fashion. On his hip, unnoticed, unnoticed for weeks, his scouter once again let out a soft beep as it detected more power level spikes. He had stopped wearing the troublesome scouter shortly after he had arrived. The Namek's power level was still growing, last he checked, but only in small inclinations, and sometimes it even dropped. There were other growing power levels on the planet, but he quickly wrote them off as non-threats and took off the scouter, checking it only occasionally when he was bored.

His rampage across the planet had finally been noticed by the humans at large. Too many cities experiencing too many massive accidents, too many sightings of his handsome visage. Occasionally, a military force would gather and try to take him out. Bullets he could brush off like nothing, tank fire was merely annoying, and missiles were child's play. But the sheer mass of them at once was enough to give him pause. It was funny, how after he took a hit, and fell to the ground, entire armies would erupt into cheers. He'd then rise back up, glowing bright purple, and screams of despair would begin.

He was world-famous. Every human on earth knew, and properly feared, the name Vegeta. It was... well, he wouldn't give up on annihilating planets by any means, but this slow extermination, this feeling of being absolute master over all he saw, that all the beings he saw existed for the sole purpose of giving him what he wanted... that they had their uses, that there were things to get from them...

Was this how Freeza felt all the time? Vegeta had never taken this much time with a simple planet, had never taken the time to kill personally, creatively. He had always had a time limit, an ulterior goal. But now, he was simply waiting for his immortality, playing with a planet he couldn't destroy, playing with mildly amusing Saiyan-like creatures whom he couldn't render extinct.

So many restrictions, but so many new freedoms. If this was what it felt like to be the ruler of the galaxy on a smaller scale, he could appreciate it.

He burst away from the flaming metropolis, into the suburbs. Sniffing the air, he smiled just as his stomach began to growl. Ripping the door of the restaurant off it's hinges, he closed his eyes and waited for the screams to reside as the guests inside filtered out through the other doors. The moment one of the employees reached the door though, he fired a small beam, creating a small explosion in front of the feet of the server. "Isn't it rude, to run our on one of your customers?"

He grinned as he sat himself down at an table, and crossed his arms, waiting. Quickly, a nervous server approached, with a shaky hand offering him a menu. "Just start me off with one of everything on the menu." He said, and gathered all the meals left behind by the retreating guests, piling it onto his own table and digging in as the staff in a rush of mortal terror tried to prepare him a fresh version of everything on the menu.

This was the life.

* * *

Master Roshi watched as Goku gave the boulder a hard shove, pushing it along the ground a good distance. Afterwards, Krillin did the same, not even half as far as Goku could push it, but still beyond what Roshi had thought possible by this point. Finally, Launch, blonde hair cut short for convenience, roared, pushing against the rock. Almost pushing it half the distance that Krillin did. The difference in strength between the three students was palpable, but in just four short months, they had each come so far. Roshi brought out the heavier turtle shells, and watched as his students set out on their daily excercises once more, excited at the prospect of the greater weight, rather than feeling downcast. Just two more months until they would join the others at Korin Tower to train with the God of Martial Arts. Just a little over half a year until Goku could begin his path of revenge.

It went by quickly, Roshi thought.

* * *

Bulma sighed, scratching her head. It wasn't that she had any shortage of ideas, materials, or even resources. She could make any gun she wanted, she had already created a near-invincible plane equipped with a high-power laser cannon, a mech suit that was better at lifting than any crane in West City...

the problem was how to use it against Vegeta. She considered just lending the weapons to the Royal military, letting them deal with her monster, but something told her that would be a bad idea. This was Brief Family technology. Capsule Corp technology. Letting the world at large get a hold of it could prove disastrous after Vegeta was eventually dealt with. But if she didn't use the stuff now, there might not be a world at the end of the year for a disaster to happen to.

Yamcha was surprisingly helpful in the design and testing process. It was always good to have extra hands around, and the man was good with all kinds of vehicles and weapons. She supposed it came with being a desert bandit.

It had been about five months since the search for the Dragon Balls and the disaster that followed. Her dad didn't exactly disbelieve her, but really, it was only until the news reports about the massive amounts of death and destruction all over the world, at random, started flowing in that he started working in earnest.

It was then, five months after that night in the desert, that Vegeta finally came to West City. The sirens went off and a city-wide announcement was made that Vegeta had been sighted, and already the streets were loud with the sounds of rioting and evacuations.

"He's here." She said.

"Bulma, we need to get to the bunker!" Her father shouted, gesturing towards the base. There really wasn't any more she could do, except build more of the same. With no way to test any of the weapons or traps, they were just stocking up futiley, or way too much. Either way, if she wasn't going to bring in the army, than there wouldn't be a point to it.

"Yamcha! Get the laser cannon, I'm hopping in the Falcon!"

"Wait- we're going to fight that monster?! Right now?!"

"Why not?!" She responded, pulling out a capsule and tossing it. The bright blue aircraft appeared, and she climbed in, switching it on. "It's now, or eight months from now, he's attacking West City!" She sighed. "And it's my fault he's here. Now come on! Don't you want revenge?!"

The bandit gulped, and turned toward Puar. "Puar, go with Doctor Briefs! Stay down in the bunker where it's safe!" He rushed inside to get the cannon.

Bulma ignited the engines and rushed upwards into the air, immediately, the targeting computer activated, and she smiled as it immediately locked onto Vegeta. Pressing down the button, a bright white beam was emitted from the front of the aircraft. It was locked directly onto Vegeta, and the air was hot with the smell of ozone, as if lightning had struck.

She watched, smiling, as the tiny spot on the targeting computer fell, on fire. The beam had caught it dead-on. There was probably a smoking hole in that monster's chest now. She had saved the world! She had avenged Oolong!

The computer beeped, and she noted with horror that Vegeta was now glowing purple, the fire extinguished, and with the small man rising slowly through the air, before rushing up to her with a burst of speed.

The look on his face was absolutely livid, it would be in her nightmares. There wasn't a hole in his chest, but rather a large smoking wound. The laser should have been able to cut through anything, but it didn't even burrow a centimeter into his skin. Within a moment, he was standing on the shield of the cockpit, staring into it with rage, and his hand lit up. He fired a blast that ripped through the main computer and console, as well as shattering the glass, and yanked her and the seat out of the plane by her seat belt. She watched, sad, as her plane spiraled into the city below.

"...~Hey Vegeta." She said, forcing a flirty smile. "Long time no see?"

"...You're... Bulma." He said, his eyes widening. "You know, I was going to spare you woman, thank you, lavish you with gratitude beyond your wildest dreams. After all, you brought me to his world with the Dragon Balls, and I'm going to use those same Dragon Balls to make all my ambitions come true." He ripped off the seat belt, grabbing her shirt collar and lifting her by it, she clung to his arm as she felt herself beginning to slip. "But then, what do I find when I return to that God forsaken floating island? You and my errant subject, both missing. I was going to make you two the first subjects of my new Empire, but then you went and escaped, even after I bothered to save your lives." He shook his head, "and now, after all this time, how do you greet me? By trying to kill me."

"You murdered my friend you son of a bitch." She growled. "Go ahead and drop me, or burn me, or whatever you want. Just don't float around holding me like this like an ass."

He grinned. "...Why did you try to kill me? That cannon of yours has been the only thing capable of hurting me since I've gotten to this planet. Why would you have something like that, while all the other humans trying to resist me are merely using bullets?"

"Because I'm a genius." She said, full of pride despite her fear. "I built it myself."

"Oh? Hm, are you the one who built the space ship you were going to give me?"

"No, that would be my dad."

Vegeta's smile turned evil. "And tell me, where would he be?"

"I'm not telling you that!"

"Tell me, or I'll drop you."

"You're going to kill me anyway!" She roared in his ears, kicking him in the side, and knocking the scouter to the ground. She only glanced at it for a moment, before locking eyes with Vegeta, continuing her tantrum and beating her fists against his face and chest. "If you're going to do it, do it! If not, then just let me go!"

"...You're fun, woman." He said simply. "You've got nerve, attacking me like that, and nerve to not be wetting your pants right now. And you're a genius?" He considered her for a few seconds, and she slowly stopped beating on his chest. "Okay then, you can be my mate. I am grateful for you bringing me here, unbelievably grateful. I'm going to be immortal, the future ruler of the universe!"

"Um..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to refuse me, in our position?"

She glanced downward. "Isn't this coercion?"

"I'm a murderous space pirate." He said. "Of course it is. Why, would you refuse if we were safely on the ground? I can kill you at any time, no matter where we are."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"What?"

"I mean, you're grateful, and you're obviously attracted to me, don't you want to seduce me? Isn't just forcing me, on threat of death... I don't know, boring? Cheap?"

The Saiyan frowned. "Bulma, I've complimented your nerve, but I don't take kindly to manipulating me."

"Just... spare me, agree to that, and we'll talk about..." she blushed, her eyebrows scrunching angrily. "...'mating'... at some other point."

"Are you going to try and kill me again?" Vegeta asked, rubbing at the scorch mark on his chest, the massive hole in both his armor and jumpsuit.

"...That depends, do you really have to destroy the Earth?"

"...Hm." He considered it. "No, I suppose I don't have to." He pointed vaguely upwards. "I was a part of the Planet Trade Organization, and was forced under subjugation by the so called 'Lord' Freeza... but he can't find me here, and once I'm immortal, I can dismantle the PTO with my own hands... so, no, there's no real reason for me to destroy the Earth, other than the fact, that it will be fun."

"...Are you still mad about that whole, 'conditions' thing?"

"You agreeing to mate with me is not worth every idiotic human on Earth, however..." he began lowering them to the ground. "If you can make it worth my while, I'll spare a few cities."

She blushed furiously. "In what way?"

"Those weapons of yours." He said, grinning. "I want you to make more. If I'm going to be immortal... If I'm going to be free of that bastard Freeza... I have some planning to do. Those weapons are going to be useful."

"...So, you want me to keep making these, and you'll leave West City alone?"

The teenager shrugged. "Why not? I take it this is West City?"

"...I suppose that'll be enough for now."

"Anywhere else you're fond of?"

"I-" she hesitated. "I need to make a few calls. Before I decide."

Vegeta smiled. "Alright then."

At that moment, Yamcha burst from a nearby alley, and prepared to fire the cannon. "Wait!" Bulma shrieked, jumping between the two. "We're working on something here! The cannons don't work!"

"What?! But we spent so long making them!" the bandit blinked. "Working on something?!"

"If... we give him the guns, he'll spare a few cities. Including West City."

"What about revenge for Oolong?"

"This was about saving the world too! And..." she looked down, sad. "I think this may be how we do it. The guns don't work, he took out the Falcon in thirty seconds. Nothing else in the armory will finish the job. And this might save humanity from extinction!"

"At his hands! We can't work with him!"

"He, is still right here. And still the most dangerous thing for light years around." Vegeta commented, amused at their arguing.

Yamcha glared at him. "What about Goku? He's not going to give this up."

Bulma glanced at the Saiyan teen, who raised an eyebrow. "Goku's not what's important here, he's not here, he doesn't even know where West City is. And I think he'd prefer for more cities to stay standing than less."

The bandit sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Fine."

She turned toward Vegeta, giving a nervous smile. "So... how do we go about this?"

He walked up to her, he was shorter by a few inches, so he had to look up at her, but it still felt like he was looking down. "Keep making those weapons, those cannons on your aircraft. Attach it to your space ships, if possible."

"Ah... Um, about those. I have a feeling that you're used to faster than light travel?"

"Of course." He said, annoyed. "How else would anything get done? You can't rule a galaxy if it takes you hundreds of years to go from one system to the next." His face suddenly contorted. "Are you telling me, that in your 'genius', you still haven't- of course you haven't! We're out in the space sticks. No one's ever seen a human outside of their own system... I'll have to get it from the Namek."

"Okay, good. We have some ships, but nothing that could get to the next star in under a few centuries... I didn't want you to show up, expecting something we don't have. But the weapons, the weapons we can do! Don't worry about that." She said, smiling nervously. "Do you want me to try attaching them to the Namek's ship?"

He smiled. "That would be helpful, yes. I'll be back with that ship. And you can begin work. In your free time, pick, oh, I don't know... a dozen cities? I'll keep an eye out for them and make sure not to rough those ones up too bad."

"I will do that." Bulma said quickly. She rushed away, dragging Yamcha with her as she rushed toward the Capsule Corp building.

She waited until the purple flash lit up and burst away before keying in the code to open the doors. She rushed into the building, skidding to a stop in front of the telephone and pulling out a drawer with a list of important business contacts. Capsule Corp was, literally, the biggest, richest, company in the world. Everyone used Capsules, capsules were never not in demand, and with their convenience, people were willing to pay quite a bit, for what, besides the physics-defying engineering, is an inexpensively produced plastic pod. Capsule Corp was a heavy hitter on the world stage, it was what made West City the wealthiest city in the world.

And it also meant there were a lot of powerful people in the world who would take their words into deep consideration.

She was calling the King of the World.

"Briefs? This is a secure line, and we are currently in a state of emergency-"

"I know, and I can help."

"Wait, who are you?! Where's Doctor Briefs-"

"My father, Doctor Briefs, is currently in a bunker below Capsule Corp. Vegeta was in West City up until a few minutes ago."

"Oh dear god. Not West City!"

"I am Bulma Briefs, Heir to Capsule Corp. I've managed to... strike a deal with Vegeta. It requires matters that I would very much like to speak with King Furry with. This might be the only chance to save humanity from extinction."

"Just, just a second." the line was silent for a few seconds, before a gruff voice began speaking.

"Miss Briefs? This is King Furry."

"I was speaking to Vegeta just a few minutes ago, and I learned some valuable information in exchange for some, well... I agreed to help produce weapons and vehicles for Vegeta."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"In exchange... he said he would spare a dozen cities, including West City. He told me to make a list. And... so, I need you to make a list. Which cities does humanity need to survive?"

"This, this is more than treason, this is,"

"King Furry, listen up." She growled. "Vegeta could literally detonate the planet with his own physical powers, with or without my weapons. With or without my vehicles. But if my tech can keep humanity from being exterminated, can keep the planet from being destroyed, than, welp, guess I'm a traitor. But, you know better than me what humanity needs to survive. Which twelve cities can we not go without. And make it quick. He wants a list, and he'll be back who knows when!"

"I'll... get right on that." The phone cut out, and Bulma was left tapping her foot in irritation for several minutes, waiting for the call back. Without warning, it rang once more, and a fast list of cities came pouring out. Bulma scrambled for a pencil and pen and started writing them out.

Yamcha came in a few minutes later, lugging the cannon behind him. "Bulma... will you be safe? Here with that... monster, looking over your shoulder?"

"I don't think he's going to kill me quite yet. He can still get his uses out of me." She turned and winked at him. "And I think he's been smitten with me."

Yamcha looked away, rolling his eyes. "Well, he is your perfect boyfriend after all. I suppose I don't have to worry about you." He sighed. "But I can't be here. I can't help you make weapons that he's just going to use against more people like Oolong, well, not like Oolong, innocent people!"

"...If I help make him these weapons, some people will be saved, versus no people being saved." She said, her voice hard. She printed out a second copy of the list. "...But, if you have to go, stay nearby these cities, please."

He took it, looking close to tears. "I'll... I'll have my phone on. If you ever feel he's going to turn on you, just give me a call, I know I won't stand a chance against him, but I'll be able to at least break you out!"

She smiled, and patted him once on the cheek. "Take the cannon, try and find someone who can replicate it... maybe, maybe it'll be useful. If he ever asks, I'll just tell him you stole it."

He ran out, and Bulma gave a slight sigh of relief. She rushed out the front gates, hopping on one of her scooters and shooting through the empty streets, until she came to an area that seemed somewhat familiar. She climbed off the scooter, and began scanning the ground, searching for a small piece of plastic and steel.

A glint caught the corner of her eye, and she bent down to pick up the Scouter. Smirking, she slipped it into her backpack, and made her way back to Capsule Corp. She and her dad were going to be busy.

* * *

Time to find the Namek, and get that ship. He knew the Namek was durable, so he could afford to have fun torturing him, without worrying about losing the Dragon Balls. He would punch in that smug Namek's face over and over and over.

He reached to his hip for his Scouter, to tell him where the Namek was hiding. Honestly, he had been hopping from place to place on a whim. He didn't know where to find that tower again, and even if he did, that didn't mean that the Namek was still there, and not somewhere in hiding. But, no matter where on the planet he was, he would be able to find him with the Scouter.

It wasn't there. He turned around in mid-air, patting himself down, unfurling his tail, looking around him.

He hadn't put on the Scouter in weeks, the humans and the Namek kept shifting their power levels, and it was by insignificant amounts each time. He had taken it off for the sake of his sanity. He had it attached to his hip, magnetically sealed. It couldn't have fallen off-

Unless he had done it accidently. Or something fell into it. How many buildings had he brought down on top of himself in his experiments?

When did it fall?

Where did it fall?!

He screamed to the heavens. It wasn't fair! One setback after another, and now he couldn't even find the Namek!


	7. Chapter 7

He flew back to West City, landing in front of the Capsule Corp building. The city was still mostly empty, having evacuated as soon as he was sighted. He walked into the front entrance like he owned the place, and was greeted by Bulma, rushing out of the lab, looking frantic. "Oh, hi Vegeta, back so soon? Er, well I did have the chance to think about what cities I wanted you to definitely spare, but-"

"Woman, I'm staying here, for now. I've been thinking." He smiled, still savage, still absolutely full of confidence. "I really should be far more grateful to you, than I have been. Your little talk about why I need, or rather, don't need, to destroy the world gave me some perspective." He reached over and grabbed her chin, bringing her head a little lower to match his own height, in a mockery of intimacy. "Until it's time to gather the Dragon Balls, consider this planet more-or-less spared in its entirety. After all, once I've become immortal, I'll become ruler of the Galaxy! A gift such as that shouldn't be taken lightly without some kind of recompense." He pulled her closer. "From now on, I will only destroy those that annoy me. How about that for a compromise? No more poor, innocent bystanders?"

"Sound's great!" She said nervously, forcing a smile.

He released her chin and walked further into the building, looking around. "Let's see what you've got here. I want to see this space ship you were so proud of, that doesn't even break the light barrier."

"Oh, uh, sure." She turned off one hallway, leading him into a massive hanger.

Vegeta mostly tuned out Bulma's explanations of her various prototype spacecraft. She had bought it, and he was thrilled. If there was something Vegeta would not do, it would be to throw himself at the mercy of others. His pride wouldn't allow it. His pride as a fighter, as a soldier, as a Saiyan, as a Prince. But, although his father taught him it was a form of weakness, it was within his power to exchange his own mercy for favors from his lessers. He held control, as the master who granted mercy to a servant who had done him a great favor. That was all.

It wasn't at all because without his scouter he had no idea where to find anything.

It was strange, really. He had never been without his scouter before, or at least, never when it mattered. He was shocked at just how large a planet is. He had destroyed planets, before. He felt, in some more abstract, emotional part of his brain, that he himself was bigger than a planet. Dominant over mere planets. When he landed on one, everything that his eyes touched were his to destroy, without consequence, as long as it didn't directly violate Freeza's orders. His scouter told him where people were, and he followed its guiding arrow, flying at speeds that could usually beat any aircraft he came across, he would go to them, exterminate them, move on to the next signal. He had never had to navigate a world, never had to care where anything was, or where anyone was. He would just go to them. Usually saving the strongest fighters for last, or close-to-last. That was when he would lose his scouter, sometimes. In a fight with half-decent natives, sometimes they would knock away his scouter, or he'd just destroy it himself so that the glass wouldn't get in his eyes or obscure his vision. But in those cases, he had his ship ready for him, often with spare scouters, or he had Nappa and Raditz with him, and he could simply take one of theirs. Never before did he have to remember the places he had been, or look by eye. He had no idea where he had left the Namek, or the brat. He vaguely remembered the surroundings, the strange tower, but not where it was. It was only through sheer luck he stumbled across the woman. For the first time in his life, it felt like he was lost on a planet. The planet felt like... a world. With different locations and different people that mattered. It was a place you had to learn to get around.

He hadn't felt like this about a planet since Planet Vegeta.

That thought brought on its own slight wave of nostalgia, and for a fleeting second he wondered what the other remaining Saiyans were doing. Nappa and Raditz would be panicking by now, if Freeza hadn't killed them for not telling him where Vegeta had gone off to. And the other only (as far as he knew) Saiyan was the brat, somewhere in the world somehow not killing anyone.

His eyes widened, as realization hit him. If all else failed, there would have to be one last Attack Ball on Earth. How else did that lowblood brat reach this world otherwise?!

He glanced at Bulma, who he had allowed to lead him throughout her lab. Sneaking out his remote, he pressed the homing sequence, meant to bring the Attack Ball to him. It was keyed into his own ship, but it should be picked up by the brat's ship too. It would at least send a return signal. Nappa's and Raditz's pods would always at least echo back... Maybe...

"Woman."

"Uh, yes Vegeta?" She stopped her discussion with herself about the engines or something, turning towards him.

"Before you start on my cannons, we have the small issue of getting the ship it'll be attached to."

"Oh yeah, the Namekian's ship." She frowned. "The bastard who exploded me and Goku off the side of that weird tower."

"Yes, him. Though, and it should be obvious, there is one more option. The ship that the brat arrived in."

"Goku? I never heard him mention anything like a ship but..."

"Yes, yes, but how else could he have gotten here? There's not more humans on earth wishing up Saiyans, are there?"

"Well, I hope not." Bulma said sighing. "But honestly, Goku had no idea he was an alien at all. His ship is probably long-gone. Something as complicated as a space ship needs constant maintenance, leaving something like that open for more than a decade in Earth's conditions probably won't be useful."

"Maybe for a human ship. Attack Balls are specially-made to carry super-soldiers across the galaxy and survive almost anything they're hit with, from the outside at least." He tossed her the remote. "Here's the remote for my ship. It'd be out of range, of course. But Goku should have had one like it connected to his own ship. Maybe you can work your science magic on it and get me something half-salvageable."

"Uh, right away!" She took the remote, before smiling evilly to herself. Two pieces of insanely advanced alien tech! She would have many all-nighters in the future, but the stuff she would be able to make afterwards! Shifting her eyes to his outfit, she gave the armor on his back a subtle poke.

The Saiyan immediately turned and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh, sorry! I just wanted to see if there was anything strange about your armor, if I'm going to be looking at one piece of alien tech, why not look at all the stuff we've got available?"

He shrugged, pulling off the armor-looking part. A strange white chestplate with connected yellow shoulder and groin/hip guards. He was left wearing what looked, for the life of her, like a blue jumpsuit and silly-looking gloves and boots. To take off the armor, for a second, he unfurled his tail from around his waist, before wrapping it back around himself. The armor was surprisingly light, and seemed to pull in on itself, shrinking. It could be pressed and pulled, giving like a stiff foam, but when she tried to quickly pinch it it was as hard as steel, probably harder. It felt like a malleable plastic, but it also had the strength to resist her laser.

She found herself grinning giddily. The Saiyan watched her with a certain degree of discomfort as she pulled and prodded at the broken armor, giggling to herself. Without a word, without even looking at him, she ran off with the armor and the remote. Left with nothing to do but follow, he went after her, nearly growling. No one ignored the Prince of all Saiyans.

He came out into a large lab full of bits and pieces of metal, half-dissected vehicles, radars, massive firearms, machine parts, and tools lining the walls. Also, lining the walls, were pictures celebrating boy bands, singers, movie stars, and, in the corner, on a small loft connected to a ladder, was a large pink bed. "Is this... your room?"

"Yeah, it is. What about it?" She asked, clearing a complicated machine off a table with a swipe of her arm, sending it to pieces on the floor, among many, many other failed or discarded projects. Vegeta knew his boots would protect him, but he still felt nervous about stepping on the ridiculously crowded floor.

"How can you even take a single step in this mess? How do you not cut your foot open any time you stroll from one of these stupid tables to the next?"

"I'm careful, duh?" She said. "I'd get the robot to clean it up, but who knows when some of this stuff will prove useful?"

He sighed, before leaving the room. "I'm hungry." He decided. "Woman, where's the food?"

"Down the hall there's a kitchen, help yourself."

"I don't 'help myself', if I'm going to be eating something someone's already killed, I'm sure as hell not preparing it. Don't you have servants? You have your own manor in the middle of a city, so you must be some kind of minor nobility at the least."

She grinned at the compliment, putting a hand over her mouth and doing the most stereotypical snotty laugh she could. "~oh-ho-ho-ho~" Vegeta actually winced, and she smiled. She was in her element, figuring out something strange, she was finding it difficult to be intimidated by the murderer right now. "Well, the Briefs family is in fact one of the most powerful families in the world, though we're more obscenely wealthy merchants, more than royalty. Capsule Corp is the most profitable company on the planet, and its best products are created through my father's and my genius."

He rolled his eyes. "Good for you, so, you're not Nobles then? Just rich salesmen?"

"We're inventors, first and foremost, though being a merchant's a good part of it."

"Eh, so, peasant blood runs through your veins then."

"Oh? A peasant? Me?" She turned up her nose. "Oh please, how can you be considered a peasant when you're the richest girl in the world? Besides, I've got a Prince pining for me, that makes me as good as a Princess."

"Pining?" Vegeta asked, insulted. "You're the one who brought me here."

"Details details."

* * *

 _Six Months earlier_

Tao Pai Pai blinked in fury and frustration. He had accepted, on the climb up, that he would be second in strength to Korin, and when Piccolo's spawn arrived, he accepted third. But this... this fat man?!

They fought Piccolo for a day and a night, but his speed was too ungodly. Everything they threw at him, punches, kicks, jabs, beams, even bullets and missiles from the Major. By the end of it, the humans were exhausted, almost to collapsing. The strongest of them lasted the longest, fighting constantly into the night. Eventually though, as dawn broke in the distance, the only ones able to move were himself, Korin, who was not part of the challenge, Duet, who had still not taken a hit, and, of all the fighters, Yajirobe.

The fat man was winded, tired, definitely. He muttered and complained about the whole ordeal near-constantly. But all the same, he was coming closer than even Tao was to touching the demon.

Duet hovered in the air, using a version of the skydance technique that seemed subtle and instinctual, as if flying came as second nature. But even with Tao able to fly and Yajirobe not, simply by jumping, the swordsman could come closer in a smaller time.

Using his anger as a fuel, he forced himself forward. He supposed it was his own fault, truly. He had accepted his natural defeat by the demon, and Korin had proven more than his match in skill. He set a limitation in his own mind. The only reason Yajirobe was getting closer was because the swordsman didn't have those limits. More determined than before, Tao launched himself with renewed vigor.

Launching a series of beams into the air, he tried to force the demon to floor of the lookout. Trying to predict where the demon would set down, he flung himself into a spinning kick that caught nothing but air as Duet dodged upwards, flying higher up rather than down.

Yajirobe was somehow up there with Duet, sword unsheathed and swinging almost faster than Tao's eyes could follow. But Duet still had time to lazily avoid every blow while keeping himself within range of Yajirobe, as if to taunt him. When the demon became tired of it though, he gave a sharp blow to Yajirobe's stomach, launching the young man into the floor of the lookout with an impact strong enough to shatter the tiles.

Tao cursed, and fired a series of small beams, Tao was running out of chi fast, and the demon had barely used his own chi at all. Glancing at the others in various stages of exhaustion and collapse, he jumped backwards, refusing to turn his back on Duet, but he stopped next to where the other Crane students had collapsed. "Tell me, Chiaotzu, are you awake?"

"Uhnggh." Was his response.

Tao nodded, it was satisfactory. "How long can you keep Duet held in your telekinesis?"

"Not at all. He shrugs it off like nothing."

"Even an instant?"

The tiny jiangshi shook his head sadly, barely conscious. "He doesn't even notice it."

"Damn." He groaned. "If he could stop from moving for even a half-second, I could end this!"

Groaning, from near the other end of the pile, Chi Chi got up, and then gave a loud grunt as she pulled her father up enough he could stand on his own. "Just... a half second?" the Ox King breathed. "That's all it'll take?"

Tao narrowed his eyes. "I don't need your help, Turtle."

The Ox King coughed, and then threw his arms up in the air. "Hey! Duet! I'm going to crush you!" He roared.

"Yeah!" Chi Chi agreed, putting her hands to her helmet and firing a series of quick laser beams. Duet dodged them easily, and smiled to see more opponents getting up.

"Good!" Duet shouted. "I was worried for a bit that I had been going too hard on you all. But as I can see, this is the proper level of determination required. Everyone! Get back up, or I'm knocking you off the Lookout!"

Korin frowned. "We're not wasting them like that."

"Why not?" Duet said evilly. "If they can't survive a mere fall, then they're pathetic. And the trip back up will do wonders for them, won't it?"

Korin thought about it for a moment, and in their fear, the humans rushed to force themselves off the ground despite their pain or exhaustion. "No." Korin said, to the human's relief. "We will not be tossing them over the side if they collapse." The cat then grinned mischeviously. "We'll have Mister Popo ferry them there."

While better than being splattered across the ground, it proved to be a bad enough fate to be a sufficient motivator. Those who couldn't move were supported by those who could. Eight personally holding up the two more 'normal' human Red Ribbon fighters.

Ox King rushed forward first, launching himself from the tiles of the Lookout up into the air, making a wild swing for Duet that the demon simply floated around. But in doing so, the demon found himself nearly caught by Chi Chi's beams. "Come on everyone!" The Ox King roared. "We just need one hit!"

Yajirobe grunted, and flung himself insanely fast through the air, forcing Duet to dodge under his sword swing, and get closer to the ground. Tien and Chiaotzu acted together, rising into the air and circling Duet, trying to keep him from getting too far from the main group or the surface of the Lookout. Nam and Chappa dove for his feet, circling him on the ground, between Chiaotzu and Tien's positions in the air, forming a square. Shen flew up himself, getting into a ready stance floating above the square, boxing in Duet.

The Demon was grinning, they were finally getting somewhere.

Outside the circle, laser fire from Chi Chi forced him away from getting too close to any edge of the square, while Metallitron's missiles and projectiles from the Ninjas did about the same. Yajirobe since landed, and circled outside the square, looking for an opening, Tao doing the same on the opposite end. Ox and Eight joined the roaming circle, while the weakest fighters, Silver, Violet, and Ranfan, formed a wide triangle outside the formation as a last chance to grab them.

At that point, it was a standoff. Duet's movements had been limited to about twenty cubic meters of air, fighters surrounding him. If he made a dash in any direction, at least one attack would clip him. He crossed his arms, and decided he would allow the group to play out their formation another minute, and then he would blow it apart with a kiai. He counted off the seconds in his mind, his eyes shifting from fighter to fighter, feeling their chi and constantly moving to dodge projectiles and beams, but not too far, to keep out of range from any of the fighters.

When only a few seconds remained, and the group began losing their strength, the determination losing hold with the presence of the standoff, Blue shoved himself from the ground, and pointed at the demon. "Hey! Duet! Look here!" He shouted.

Duet met the fighter's eyes for only a moment when he felt the paralysis hit him. Suddenly enraged, he began immediately fighting off the effects of the human psychic, but it was the moment the group was waiting for. Yajirobe, Eight, Tao and Ox flew forward the moment they sensed his weakness, each coming from different angles, and every possible escape route was cut off as the square of fighters closed in their trap, Shen and Tien powering up their Dodon attacks.

Roaring with rage, he shattered Blue's control, and released a wave of simple force of chi, the force of an explosion rippling out from his body and forcing back every fighter there.

He gave a huff of irritation as he looked at nearly everyone back on the ground once more, the groans and sounds of complaint and pain had become more adamant.

He then looked down and noticed the steel blade sliding out of a shallow wound in his thigh. Glaring at Yajirobe, he picked up the sword and threw it into the ground next to Yajirobe's head. "What kind of swordsman throws his blade?!"

The heavy man pushed himself off his back with a pained grunt, and gave a satisfied smile. "It worked, didn't it?"

Duet rolled his eyes. "Fine. You may all rest. Training will begin at dawn." He turned toward the main building of the Lookout's top, and shouted "Mr. Popo! Prepare food and drink for our... champions, here."

"Yes Kami." Popo said before he could catch himself. "Apologies, Duet... um, sir?" Popo began. "Popo was wondering if you still wish to hold the position of Guardian of Earth, or if you want to choose an Heir to give the position to?"

Duet narrowed his eyes. The position of Kami held a lot of meaning for him, for both halves. "...I will be acting Kami until this Vegeta incident is over." He decided. "We'll decide which of the maggots here will replace one of my dear Fathers once we are reasonably certain the Earth will even survive."

"Understood sir."

Chi Chi pushed herself off the ground and made her way to her father. "Yajirobe got the hit, we can finally rest."

"So... this is the kind of training that Master Roshi did all those years ago?"

Korin walked over, pinching bits off of a Senzu bean and giving a sliver to both Chi Chi and her father. "Actually, your Master Roshi only had to endure my own training. Training under Kami is far more intense, and even then, training under Kami's son... will be orders of magnitude more intense than even that." The Elder Cat informed.

"Amazing..." Ox King whispered, breaking into a wide grin. "Oh, if your mother could see us now! Training with Kami to save the world!"

* * *

 _Present_

Krillin and Launch stood on the opposite end of the clearing, both facing Goku in ready stances. Sitting on a tall boulder, overlooking the impromptu arena, was their teacher. "Begin!" Roshi called, and the three blasted across the grass to meet in an impact that Roshi could feel in the breeze.

Krillin and Launch were both slower and weaker than Goku, but together, they could force him into nearly equal footing. While it took nearly half a year of training to get her to the point where she could use her muscles effectively against the younger, stronger, students, her long limbs had finally become a key advantage. If Goku's fists were the equivalent to a club, Launch's own attacks were like fighting with a long staff. She stood above Goku, able to hit him while he wasn't close enough to hit her, while Krillin was smaller than the Saiyan, able to dodge through Goku's own defenses.

Goku was a fighting genius, and would be able to overpower and outmaneuver either of them one-on-one, but against both, it was an equal match.

Roshi watched with pride as his three students blended together in a dance of martial arts and turtle shells.

He didn't know, honestly, what kind of hellish training Ox and Shen would be doing with Korin, or if the six months of merely Roshi's training alone would be enough to let his students catch up to the rest of the group. But either way, in only half a year, he had allowed all three of them to transcend the limits of what is accepted as humanly possible. Launch would never be threatened by a rival thief or a policeman, Krillin would be able to wipe the floor with the Orin school that had rejected him, and Goku... well, he was even more of a monster of a fighter than before.

He was proud of their progress. If this was to be Roshi's last year on Earth... training these three to this level, it would be enough. Launch and Krillin he felt could both someday surpass the Ox King, and Goku he knew would go on to become the strongest of any of his disciples over the three centuries he had lived. He had few regrets.

The fight lasted several minutes, and Krillin and Launch together narrowly defeated Goku, forcing him into the dirt until he was buried to his waist, before both collapsed onto their butts and sat on the ground catching their breath. "Good work!" Roshi applauded, and grabbed Goku's foot, yanking him from the dirt and giving a rough shake to Goku's hair to knock the dirt loose. "Absolutely wonderful, all three of you... as you've probably noticed, six months have passed... I think it is time we went to train with Korin to defeat Vegeta."

His three students forgot their weakness and became serious, listening to their master carefully. "Now then, Krillin, my boy, Launch my dear... this isn't your fight. Well... it is in a way, but I'm not forcing you to come with. Both of you are now genius martial artists, you'll never want for success in your life. Me and Goku have personal reasons and responsibilities to defeat Vegeta. And so... with this, I conclude your training! You have mastered the basics of the Turtle form and have become brilliant battlers, all three of you. Any decisions you make from this point on will be your own. But, I must ask, come with us, and continue your training under the God of Martial Arts, to save the world."

"Of course Master!" Krillin shouted, looking proud. "Vegeta won't know what hit him!"

Good Launch looked determined, and gave a sweet smile. "Of course Master." Scrunching up her face she focused for a second, and made herself sneeze. Bad Launch grinned evilly. "I'm not going to miss on something this badass! Besides, I think I've come to appreciate this whole training thing. If there's someone even better than you willing to show us what to do, why not?"

Goku grinned widely. "You don't have to ask me!"

"Good!" Roshi exclaimed. "Then let's go! Everyone, drop your shells!"

The three students blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes! You've all graduated the Turtle School, you have no more need for your shells." He smiled, knowing what would come next.

Untying the heavy metal shells from their backs, the three stretched and looked at him expectantly. "Jump." He ordered. "High as you can, just see what you can do."

Goku, of course, was the first to respond, and he squatted first, before pumping his legs and launching himself straight up through the air. Krillin and Launch winced as the impact left cracks in the ground, the air whistling from his speed as he became a speck in the clouds.

Krillin stared in awe, but Launch grinned, and pumped her own legs, launching herself incredibly fast through the air, she watched in shock and awe as the island became tiny below her. Goku waved at her from still far above her, the child looking ecstatic with his new power. Krillin soon joined the three of them, and as one, they landed back in the clearing, creating a crater and a massive dustcloud that left their teacher sputtering and coughing.

"So, you three like the fruit of your training?"

"Yes!" Goku agreed.

"It's amazing." Launch commented, still elated.

Krillin nodded soundlessly, rolling back and forth on his heels in excitement.

Roshi smiled. "And that's just with me. Imagine what Korin'll teach you."

* * *

Yamcha and Puar rode through the wastes on their high-power motorcycle. The weeks spent in the city helping Bulma had been a nice break, but getting back into the wild was satisfying. He had found himself almost caught in the trap of society. The Doctor Briefs nearly enrolling him in a high school in the city before Vegeta showed up and ruined everything.

But in the end, he knew that he wasn't going to be a baseball player, or a student, or even the boyfriend to a rich heiress.

He was Yamcha the Desert Bandit. Feared ruler of the dunes. Expert marksman and devastating martial artist. And now... his one weakness, his crippling fear of girls, had been conquered. With renewed vigor setting out, he began getting back to his roots. Stealing the armored motorcycle they were riding now, and anything else he needed. But a lot of his supplies had been simply taken. Vegeta's rampages had left dozens of cities destroyed utterly, others left mostly intact but unlivable, and others had simply been abandoned ahead of time, not wanting to paint a target for Vegeta's rage on their backs as people began to move into small towns and villages out in the country.

In a capsule in his jacket's chest pocket was a laser cannon capable of, at the very least, hurting Vegeta. At every place he stopped, he asked around, trying to find scientists. But as he got further into the desert, he realized who his best bet would be, when it came to replicating and making use of the laser cannon.

In the distance, the castles of the Red Ribbon's complex became visible.


End file.
